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H ROUGH  Longfellow  we  have  heard  of  "the  midnight 
ride  of  Paul  Revere,"  and  a  few  cherished  pieces  of  silver- 
ware bearing  his  mark  have  reminded  us  of  his  trade;  but 
we  have  been  slow  to  realize  the  remarkable  abilities  and 
attainments  of  this  ardent  patriot,  and  the  extent  and 
importance  of  the  services  he  rendered  in  the  cause  of 
liberty  previous  and  subsequent  to  his  memorable  ride.  ^77S 
His  origin  and  life  are  fitter  for  romance  than  bald  biog- 
raphy, and  await  the  writer  who  shall  by  mingling  art  with 
history  reproduce  the  spirit  and  influence  which  no  mere 
chronicle  of  his  achievements  can  portray.  His  sphere  was 
outside  that  of  the  great  leaders  of  statecraft  and  battle,  but 
it  was  none  the  less  effective  and  indispensable;  in  the 
emergencies  of  the  early  days,  before  events  had  shaped  the 
policy  of  union,  he  was  the  ready  arm  to  execute  the  will  of 
Hancock,  Adams  and  Warren,  and  was  often  as  well  their 
guide  to  the  temper  and  resources  of  the  body  politic,  of 
which  he  was  an  undisputed  leader. 

Oppression  drove  his  ancestors  from  their  native  home  ^7^S 
in  France,  but  the  spirit  which  they  bequeathed  him  was 
mdaunted,  and  under  the  rugged  influences  of  a  new 
country  met  new  oppression  with  determined  resistance, 
is  significant  of  the  transition  from  the  French  Hugue- 
not refugee  to  the  American  citizen  that  Apollos  Rivoire,  who  was  born  in  France 
in  the  year  1702,  and  when  thirteen  years  of  age  arrived  in  Boston  to  be  appren- 
ticed to  a  goldsmith,  in  his  early  manhood  modified  his  name  to  Paul  Revere 
to  suit  the  convenience  of  neighbors  whose  Saxon  tongues  but  illy  rendered  the 
subtleties  of  his  patronymic.  He  was  sent  here  and  apprenticed  by  an  uncle  who 
had  earlier  emigrated  to  Guernsey  and  whom  he  had  sought  on  his  departure 
from  France.  His  allegiance  to  his  adopted  country  was  completed  when  in 
1729  as  an  established  goldsmith  he  married  Deborah  Hitchborn,  a  native  of 
Boston.  They  had  many  children,  but  it  is  with  the  third,  the  Paul  Revere  of 
American  history,  born  December  twenty-first,  1734,  that  we  are  concerned. 
He  received  his  education  from  the  famous  Master  Tileston  at  the  "North 
Grammar  School,"  and  then  entered  his  father's  shop  to  learn 
the  trade  of  goldsmith  and  silversmith.  The  varied  operations  <^>^ 
of  such  work,  more  especially  at  a  time  when  appliances  were  ,r#^| 
few  and  primitive,  developed  his  mechanical  powers,  while  a  /|fd 
natural  refinement  of  taste  and  talent  for  drawing  found  a  stim-  "^''^"^ 
ulative  exercise  in  designing  and  embellishing  with  the  graver  '**""- 


Ki 

el 


Ancestry  aftd  Early   Life 


957481 


the  product  of  the  shop.     His  abilities  in  the  latter  early  led  him  to  practice 
lyds  copperplate  engraving,  and  it  was  through  this  channel  that  his  influence  on  the 
political  life  of  the  time  first  began  to  be  felt.     Pictorial  illustration  for  publication 
in  those  days  was  limited  to  a  very  few  processes.     Wood  engraving  had  been 
highly  developed  by  a  few  great  masters,  but  as  commonly  practiced  was  very 
crude  and  unsatisfactory.     Lithography  was  not  yet  invented,  and  so  copperplate 
engraving,  which  we  are  now  accustomed  to  associate  with  work  of  a  more  luxu- 
rious sort,  was  the  most  available  means  of  disseminating  the  caricatures  and 
allegories  that  always  have  formed  an  essential  part  of  an  appeal  to  the  judgment 
of  the  people.     Today  the  execution  and  publication  of  such  for  a  great  news- 
paper would  be  a  matter  of  a  very  few  hours;  then  the  plates  were  slowly  and 
laboriously  wrought,  and  the  prints  as  slowly  made,  but  from  the  very  rarity 
thus  engendered  came  a  corresponding  importance,  and  to  these  embodiments 
of  patriotic  sentiment  may  be  traced  much  of  the  enthusiasm  for  Colonial  rights. 
i?'^^.  The  imposition  and  repeal  of  the  detested  Stamp  Act  were  the  subjects  of  some 
17^^  of  his  earliest  efforts  in  this  field,  and  they  achieved  an  immediate  popularity. 
Later  his  illustration  of  the  "  Boston  Massacre,"  March  5,  1770,  when  the  British 
177    troops  shot  down  Crispus  Attucks  and  his  companions  on  King  (now  State)  street, 
proved  a  valuable  document  and  memorial  of  that  affair,  and  was  even  copied  and 
issued  in  England.     His  early  plates,  as  was  to  be  expected  from  one  wholly 
self-taught  in  the  art,  were  crude  in  detail,  though  expressive  and  forceful  in  com- 
position, but  his  later  work  often  attained  a  considerable  degree  of  elegance  and 
artistic  merit. 
^73  The  martial  spirit  that  stirred  him  to  such  a  degree  in  later  life  asserted 

itself  first  on  the  occasion  of  the  campaign  against  the  French  in  Canada  in  1756, 
and  he  was  at  that  time  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant  of  Artillery  by  Gov- 
ernor Shirley  and  attached  to  the  expedition  against  Crown  Point  under  com- 
mand of  General  John  Winslow.     His  service  in  this  campaign  was  uneventful, 

ChristChurch   Salem  Street 


Copperplate    Engraving 


and  some  six  months  later  he  returned  to  his  business.      From  this  time  his  1756 
allegiance  to  royal  authority  steadily  waned. 

The  expense  of  protecting  the  Colonies  from  the  encroachments  of  the 
French  had  been  large,  and  in  apportioning  a  share  of  this  to  America  the  king 
desired  also  to  express  the  sovereignty  of  the  mother  country  with  a  view  of 
checking  the  growing  independence  of  thought  that  was  manifest  in  certain 
quarters,  particularly  in  Boston.  His  ministers  therefore  devised  the  Stamp  17^2 
Act,  which,  though  defeated  in  Parliament  when  first  offered,  was  passed  in  1765 
and  its  enforcement  immediately  attempted.  This  included  a  tax  upon  the  i7^5 
imports  of  the  Colonies,  but  its  repugnance  to  the  latter  lay  in  the  fact  that  they 
had  no  voice  in  the  matter,  a  right  which  they  claimed  under  the  Magna  Charta, 
the  foundation  of  English  liberty.  The  resentment  engendered  by  this  enact- 
ment operated  to  widen  the  breach  between  Whigs  and  Tories,  as  the  sympa- 
thizers of  the  King  were  called,  and  the  leaders  of  the  former  banded  themselves 
together  under  the  name  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty.  Their  meetings  were  con- 
ducted with  great  secrecy,  those  in  Boston  being  held  chiefly  at  the  Green 
Dragon  tavern,  and  measures  were  taken  to  resist  at  every  step  the  impending 
tyranny. 

Paul  Revere,  popular  among  his  fellows,  and  esteemed  by  those  whom 
social  position  and  previous  services  had  marked  as  prime  directors,  became  a 
prominent  figure  in  this  movement  and  was  intrusted  with  the  execution  of  many 
important  affairs.  Committees  of  Safety  and  Correspondence  were  formed 
throughout  the  Colonies,  and  Revere  was  often  the  bearer  of  intelligence  and 
instructions  from  one  to  another.  His  chief  commissions  at  this  time  were  to 
carry  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia  the  sentiments  of  Massachusetts,  and  its 
proposition  to  unify  the  action  of  the  country  through  a  Colonial  Congress. 
This  Congress  was  held  at  New  York  in  October  of  the  same  year,  and  adopted 
a  Declaration  of  Rights  and  Grievances  which,  together  with  the  protests  from 
British  merchants  and  the  earnest  efforts  of  William  Pitt,  caused  Parliament  to 
repeal  the  obnoxious  Act  early  in  1766.  1766 


Rob't  Newman's 


"Sons  of  Liberty" 


A^  Those 

Who  voted  no/toY^scind 

The  King,  unwilling  to  renounce  his  policy  of  subjection,  secured  the  pas- 
sage of  another  and  somewhat  similar  Act  aimed  at  American  commerce,  and 
again  the  Colonies  were  excited  to  resistance  and  methods  devised  to  defeat  its 
provisions.  A  non-importation  league  was  formed,  and  many  encounters 
occurred  between  the  crown  officers,  or  their  sympathizers,  and  the  patriots. 
Paul  Revere  appears  as  a  leading  spirit  in  these  demonstrations,  and  several  of 

j^6S  them  were  marked  by  the  publication  of  engravings.  One  of  these  is  a  caricature 
portraying  the  entrance  into  the  jaws  of  hell,  typified  by  a  dragon  emitting  flames, 
of  the  seventeen  members  of  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  who 
at  the  King's  behest  voted  to  rescind  the  Act  authorizing  the  issuance  of  a  cir- 
cular letter  to  the  General  Assemblies  of  the  several  Colonies  inviting  co-opera- 
tion in  defense  of  their  rights.  The  ninety-two  members  who  voted  not  to 
rescind  were  honored  by  a  memorial  in  the  form  of  a  silver  punch  bowl  made 
by  Revere  and  presented  by  fifteen  Sons  of  Liberty.  He  also  executed  views 
of  the  landing  of  British  troops  at  Boston,  beside  many  prints  of  a  more  private 

/770  nature,  and  two  years  later  his  representation  of  the   Boston   Massacre ;    the 

777/  next  year,  on  the  anniversary  of  this  encounter,  he  displayed  from  the  chamber 
windows  of  his  house  in  North  Square  a  series  of  transparencies  commemorative 
of  the  affair.     This  house,  though  somewhat  modified,  is  still  standing. 

The  discontent  bred  by  the  stamp  measures  of  Parliament  and  nurtured  in 

/77j>  the  secret  societies  and  caucuses  that  abounded  in  Boston  burst  from  these 
bounds  on  the  29th  of  November,  1773,  with  the  issuance  of  a  broadside,  or 
poster  as  we  would  now  term  it,  calling  the  citizens  to  meet  and  take  action  upon 
the  matter.  The  ship  "Dartmouth,"  laden  with  tea,  had  arrived  on  the  28th, 
and  great  excitement  prevailed.  The  meeting  announced  was  held  and  addressed 
by  noted  patriots,  who  urged  the  people  to  prevent  the  discharge  of  the  cargo. 
Samuel  Adams  offered  a  resolution  "that  the  tea  should  not  be  landed;  that  it 
should  be  sent  back  in  the  same  bottom  to  the  place  whence  it  came,  and  at  all 
events  that  no  duty  should  be  paid  on  it."  This  was  unanimously  adopted,  and 
a  guard  of  twenty-five  men  was  appointed  to  support  it.  Paul  Revere  was  one 
of  this  number,  and  with  others  watched  the  ship  that  night.  Another  meeting 
was  held  the  next  day  and  the  owners  of  the  "  Dartmouth"  and  t^^o  other  tea 


Pr^-Revolutionary   Services 


ships  which  had  arrived  were  compelled  to  promise  to  send  them  back  to  Eng- 
land without  unloading.  Governor  Hutchinson  upset  this  peaceful  solution  of 
the  matter  by  forbidding  the  issuance  of  clearance  papers  for  the  ships  until  the 
cargoes  should  be  discharged.  This  further  inflamed  the  citizens,  and  on  the 
1 6th  of  December  another  excited  gathering  was  held  in  the  "Old  South" 
'  Meeting  House.  At  the  close  of  this  meeting  the  cry,  "  Boston  Harbor  a  tea- 
pot tonight,"  was  raised,  at  which  signal  a  band  of  men  styling  themselves /77J 
"  Mohawks,"  and  largely  disguised  as  such,  led  the  way  to  Griffin's  Wharf, 
boarded  the  ships,  and  in  an  orderly  manner  burst  open  three  hundred  and  forty- 
two  chests  and  threw  the  tea  into  the  waters  of  the  harbor.  As  usual,  Paul  Revere 
was  one  of  the  instigators  and  leaders  of  this  —  the  first  act  of  open  rebellion. 
As  a  result  of  this  action  laws  were  passed  in  Parliament  closing  the  port 
of  Boston  and  in  other  ways  restricting  the  liberties  of  the  people  of  Massa-  1774 
chusetts.  Although  the  purpose  of  these  was  to  crush  the  rebellious  spirit  of 
the  Colonists,  they  served  only  to  further  inflame  them,  and  Paul  Revere  was 
soon  riding  again  to  enlist  the  support  of  the  Southern  provinces  in  behalf  of 
Massachusetts.  He  was  enthusiastically  received  in  New  York,  and  reached 
Philadelphia  on  the  20th  of  May,  after  a  journey  of  six  days.  Here  a  meeting 
of  citizens  was  immediately  held,  at  which  it  was  unanimously  resolved  to  make 
the  cause  of  Boston  their  own.  Bearing  letters  of  sympathy,  Revere  returned 
to  Boston,  while  a  committee  of  correspondence  which  was  appointed  at  the 
Philadelphia  meeting  sent  copies  of  their  acts,  accompanied  by  a  suggestion  for 
a  General  Congress,  to  New  York  and  the  Colonies  to  the  south.  New  York 
had  received  intelligence  of  the  action  of  Parliament  before  the  arrival  of  Paul 
Revere,  and  had  despatched  to  Boston  a  message  of  sympathy  and  encourage- 
ment, and  the  bearer  of  it,  John  Ludlow,  met  Revere  near  Providence,  Rhode 
Island,  as  each  traveled  his  opposite  way  on  the  same  account.     The  General 


Paul  Revere's  House 


North  Square 

"Mohawk"  and  Messenger 


Congress  favored  by  Philadelphia  was,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  General  Court 
777^ of  Massachusetts,  held  in  that  city  the  following  September,  and  the  acts  of 
injustice  suffered  by  the  Colonists  were  recited  in  a  Declaration  of  Colonial 
Rights.  Important  memorials  and  resolutions  were  passed,  and  the  American 
Association  was  formed — the  first  confederacy  of  the  provinces  and  the  real 
beginning  of  the  Union. 

Far-seeing  patriots  realized  the  meaning  of  these  measures,  and  the  Mas- 
sachusetts House  of  Representatives,  reorganized  under  the  name  of  the 
"Provincial  Congress,"  assumed  the  reins  of  independent  government  and 
voted  to  enroll  twelve  thousand  Minute  Men.  Revere  was  called  upon  once 
more  to  ride  to  Philadelphia,  and  carried  the  "  Suffolk  Resolves,"  an  incipient 
Declaration  of  Independence,  to  the  Continental  Congress,  and  again  returned 
with  unanimous  assurances  of  unfaltering  support.  In  October  he  made  another 
journey  to  Philadelphia  to  learn  the  transactions  of  Congress,  and  on  the  13th 
of  December  he  carried  to  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  the  news  that  Parlia- 
ment had  forbidden  the  further  importation  of  gunpowder  and  military  stores, 
and  that  a  large  garrison  was  coming  to  occupy  Fort  William  and  Mary,  situated 
///yin  Newcastle  at  the  entrance  of  Portsmouth  harbor.  Acting  on  this  intelligence, 
the  "  Sons  of  Liberty  "  of  that  neighborhood  surprised  the  fort  on  the  night  of 
the  14th  and  removed  upwards  of  one  hundred  barrels  of  gunpowder  and  fifteen 
cannon. 

The  inevitable  conflict  was  fast  approaching,  and  under  General  Gage, 
Governor  of  Massachusetts,  the  British  forces  at  Boston  were  largely  increased, 
and  efforts  were  made  to  anticipate  the  uprising  of  the  Colonists  by  seizing  and 
removing  the  military  stores  and  arms  of  the  outlying  posts.  Thus  watching 
and  seeking  to  outwit  each  other,  oppressor  and  patriot  strengthened  their  situa- 
tions to  the  utmost,  and  awaited  the  turn  of  events.  The  Sons  of  Liberty 
increased  their  vigilance,  and  under  rigid  oaths  of  secrecy  debated  methods  of 
resistance.  In  spite  of  all  precautions  it  was  found  that  intelligence  of  their 
meetings  was  immediately  carried  to  Governor  Gage,  and  though  greatly 
annoyed,  they   were   unable   to   identify   the   traitor  until   the   more   absolute 

Off  \TO  O4.    division  of  actual  conflict 

CHTERLONY/ifoZ/^6^  INLENTRE  O/.    marked  the  opposing  par- 

ties.  Every  available 
1^1  method  of  espionage  was 
taken  advantage  of,  and 
by  the  middle  of  April 
enough  had  been  learned 
to  convince  them  that  the 
British  were  preparing  for 
immediate  action.  They 
were  therefore  in  readi- 
ness when,  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  1 8th,  Dr. 
Warren  learned  that 
troops  were  gathering  on 
Boston  Common.  He 
immediately  sent  for  Paul 
Revere  and  communi- 
;o-!i^  cated  his  fears  for  the 
safety    of  Messrs.    Han- 


1775 


Pivotal    Preparation 


KEEN  Dragon 


cock  and  Adams,  who  were  at 
Lexington,  and  for  whose  cap- 
ture and  that  of  the  stores  at 
Concord,  he  believed  the  expe- 
dition organized.  He  begged 
Revere  to  go  at  once  to  Lexing- 
ton to  warn  the  patriots,  on 
which  errand  he  had  already 
despatched  one  William  Dawes. 
Revere  a  few  days  before  had 
visited  Lexington,  and  fearing 
the  impossibility  of  direct  com- 


munication when  the  blow  should  fall,  had  arranged  to  show  by  signal  lanterns 
the  route  taken  by  the  enemy.  In  the  event  of  departure  by  water  two  lights 
were  to  be  shown  in  the  belfry  of  the  North  Church,  and  if  by  land,  one. 

It  was  then  about  ten  o'clock,  and  this  "Mercury  of  the  Revolution,"  as 
he  has  been  aptly  called,  started  immediately  on  that  errand  which  is  so  closely  7775 
identified  with  his  name,  and  which  is  justly  held  to  be  one  of  the  most  preg- 
nant events  of  the  nation's  history.  He  first  called  upon  his  friend,  Robert 
Newman,  sexton  of  the  North  Church,  and  arranged  for  the  displaying  of  the 
signals  when  the  troops  had  started,  a  matter  in  itself  of  considerable  danger, 
as  regulars  were  quartered  in  Newman's  house  and,  as  elsewhere,  watched  every 
movement;  then  going  to  his  home  he  clothed  himself  for  the  journey,  and 
hastened  to  the  wharf,  where  his  boat  was  in  readiness.  Two  friends,  Thomas 
Richardson  and  Joshua  Bentley,  rowed  him  across  the  Charles  River  under  the 
guns  of  the  man-of-war  Somerset,  whose  officers  tardily  awoke  to  vigilance  a 
few  minutes  later. 

An  amusing  side  light  is  thrown  on  this  passage  by  an  incident  preserved 
in  the  traditions  of  the  Revere  family.  It  is  related  that  while  the  party  was 
on  the  way  to  the  boat  it  was  remembered  that  nothing  had  been  provided  to 
muffle  the  sound  of  the  oars  against  the  thole-pins.  A  halt  was  made  before  a 
house  near  by,  and  a  cautious  signal  brought  an  answer  from  a  darkened  window 
above.  Their  need  was  made  known,  and  the  next  moment  a  woolen  petticoat 
exchanged  its  natural  office  for  a  place  in  history. 

Arriving  safely  at  Charlestown,  Revere  was 
met  by  waiting  patriots,  who  had  observed  the 
signal  lights  that  now  shone  from  the  steeple  on 
Copp's  Hill.  Procuring  a  horse,  he  started  by 
the  most  direct  route  to  Lexington,  but  had 
ridden  only  a  short  distance  when  he  discovered 
two  British  officers  lurking;  in  the  shadow  of  a 
tree,  and  was  obliged  to  turn  quickly,  barely 
escaping  their  attack,  and  ride  toward  Medford. 
In  that  place  he  aroused  the  captain  of  the 
Minute  Men,  and  proceeding,  spread  the  alarm 
to  Lexington.  He  found  Messrs.  Adams  and 
Hancock  at  the  residence  of  Rev.  Mr.  Clark, 
and  while  there  was  joined  by  Dawes,  the  latter 
arriving  about  half  an  hour  later  than  Revere. 
They  together  continued  their  journey  to  Con-' 
cord,  and  were  soon  joined  by  Dr.  Prescott,  a 


Signal 

Lanterns 


The  Midnight   Ride 


1  o 


.Of^nt 


Son  of  Liberty  and  resident  of  the  latter 
place  whom  Cupid  had  kept  from  home 
until  that  hour.  He  proved  a  valuable 
addition  to  the  party,  as  he  knew  the 
ground  thoroughly  and  was  acquainted 
at  every  house  on  the  road. 

Revere  had  been  informed  of  the 
presence  of  British  scouts  in  that  neigh- 
borhood and  advanced  with  caution, 
leaving  to  the  others  the  task  of  warning 
the  farmers.  They  had  covered  about 
half  the  distance  when  Revere  saw  before 
him  two  men   in   the   same   suspicious 

LI    o^i  ••*  ivyi  i^ii)uj/«»^'fniMiM  situation  of  those  at  Charlestown.     He 

laVinritnrv    ^llrw^^^^  stopped  and  called  for  Dawes  and  Pres- 

CAlJlt'tUll   .  . i\.''S>\l\^ wIp^'     j^^l||,  c^     to  come  up.      Before  the  arrival  of 

**  ^  the  latter,  the  two  men,  who  like  the 
others  proved  to  be  British  officers,  were  joined  by  four  more,  and  the  little  party 
was  driven  at  the  points  of  pistols  and  swords  into  a  field  where  six  more  officers 
on  horseback  were  ambushed.  Revere  and  Dawes  were  captured,  but  Dr.  Pres- 
cott,  by  jumping  his  horse  over  a  stone  wall,  got  away  and  reached  Concord. 
The  prisoners  were  closely  questioned  and  threatened,  but  suffered  no  actual 
violence,  and  in  the  excitement  of  a  volley  from  the  Lexington  militia  as  they 
neared  that  town  on  the  way  to  Cambridge,  they  were  abandoned  by  their  cap- 
tors— who  were  themselves  intent  upon  reaching  a  place  of  safety — and  made 
their  way  again  to  Mr.  Clark's  house. 

From  here  Revere  accompanied  Hancock  and  Adams  to  a  place  of  safety 
in  Woburn,  and  then  returned  once  more  to  the  Clark  house.  He  soon  learned 
that  the  British  troops  were  close  at  hand,  and  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Lowell, 
clerk  to  Mr.  Hancock,  he  went  with  the  former  to  the  tavern  to  secure  a  trunk 
containing  valuable  papers.  The  following  extract  from  Paul  Revere's  written 
story  of  the  affair  gives  a  graphic  picture  of  this  incident : 

"We  went  up  chamber,  and  while  we  were  getting  the  trunk,  we  saw  the 
British  very  near,  upon  a  full  march.  We  hurried  toward  Mr.  Clark's  house. 
In  our  way  we  passed  through  the  militia.  They  were  about  fifty.  When  we 
had  got  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  meeting  house,  the  British  troops 
appeared  on  both  sides  of  the  meeting  house.  In  their  front  was  an  officer  on 
horseback.  They  made  a  short  halt,  when  I  saw  and  heard  a  gun  fired,  which 
appeared  to  be  a  pistol. 
Then  I  could  distinguish 
two  guns,  and  then  a  con- 
tinual roar  of  musketry; 
when  we  made  off  with 
the  trunk." 
^77S  This  ends  the  record 

of  Revere's  part  in  this 
expedition.  How  the 
British  troops  passed  on  to 
Concord  and  precipitately 
returned  is  known  of  all, 
and  like  Revere's  ride,  has 


tmisf3^3^ 


At  Lexington 


been  worthily  recorded  in 
verse.  It  was  war;  and 
when  its  smoke  had  cleared 
away  the  parties  that  had 
suspected  and  watched 
each  other  as  neighbors  be- 
came enemies,  with  no  neu- 
tral ground.  Revere  took 
up  his  residence  in  Charles- 
town,  and  from  that  point 
set  about  managing  his 
affairs  in  Boston.  A  few 
weeks  later,  when  passes 
could  be  procured,  his  wife 
and  family  joined  him  on 
the  other  side  of  the 
Charles  River. 

More  rides  to  New 
York  and  Philadelphia 
were  required  of  Revere, 
but  occupation  more  to  his 
taste  was  offered  the  fol- 
lowing year,  after  the  Brit- 
ish, harrassed  by  Washing- 
ton, had  evacuated  Boston. 
The  departing  troops  had 
endeavored  to  disable  the 
cannon  at  Castle  William, 
now  Fort  Independence, 
and  at  the  request  of  Gen- 
eral Washington,  Revere 
undertook  to  repair  them. 
He  succeeded  by  inventing 
a  new  form  of  carriage, 
rendered  necessary  by  the  fact  that  the  trunnions  had  been  broken  from  the  i^/6 
guns.  Shortly  after  this  (in  July)  a  regiment  was  raised  for  the  defence  of  the 
town  and  harbor,  and  Revere  was  commissioned  Major.  In  November  of  the 
same  year  he  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  a  regiment  of  State 
Artillery,  in  which  office  he  performed  many  important  duties,  including  the 
transference  from  Worcester  to  Boston,  in  August,  1777,  of  a  body  of  several 
hundred  prisoners  captured  at  Bennington  by  Colonel  Stark.  He  took  part 
also,  with  his  regiment,  in  the  first  campaign  in  Rhode  Island,  and  was  several  7775' 
times  in  command  at  Castle  William,  incidentally  presiding  at  many  courts- 
martial. '  His  services  in  defence  of  Boston  Harbor  were  onerous  and  marked 
by  privations  and  discontent  among  his  men,  but  he  steadfastly  fulfilled  his  duties 
and  endeavored  to  make  the  best  of  the  situation  despite  the  adverse  conditions. 

On  the  !26th  of  June,  1779,  Colonel  Revere  was  ordered  to  prepare  one 
hundred  members  of  his  command  for  instant  departure  with  the  expedition 
being  formed  to  attack  the  British  at  Maja-Bagaduce,  now  Castine,  Maine. 
This  expedition,  under  Brigadier-General  Solomon  Lovell  and  Commodore 
Dudley  Saltonstall,  reached  the  Penobscot  in   thirty-seven  vessels  on  the  25th 


CAFmiNBvRKER  HHKitsoTiSc 
Hayes  Memorial  Lexington 


Military   Services 


Paul 

Revere 

Si/i/er 


177  of  July  and  undertook  to  besiege  the  enemy.  Mismanagement  and  misfortune 
prevailed,  and  on  the  13th  of  August  the  attempt  culminated  in  their  utter 
defeat  by  a  British  squadron  that  suddenly  appeared  and  hemmed  in  the 
Americans.  The  expedition  was  completely  demoralized,  burning  its  ships  to 
prevent  them  falling  into  the  enemy's  possession,  and  making  its  way  back  to 
Boston  in  scattered  parties.  A  most  unfortunate  feature  of  this  affair,  for 
Revere,  was  a  quarrel  engendered  by  a  conflict  of  authority  with  a  Captain  of 
Marines,  which,  early  in  September,  after  Revere  had  again  been  placed  in  com- 
mand of  Castle  William,  resulted  in  his  removal  from  this  place  and  the  service, 
under  complaint  of  this  officer.  Revere  traced  this  trouble  to  enmity  incurred 
in  the  discharge  of  duty  at  Castle  William,  and  he  had  anticipated  it  by  pro- 
testing against  the  presence  in  the  expedition  of  certain  members  who  were 
known  to  be  unfriendly  to  him  for  this  reason,  having  previously  tried  to 
sustain  charges  against  him.  Revere  addressed  a  very  full  account  of  his 
doings  on  the  expedition,  and  especially  of  the  points  at  issue,  to  the  Council, 
and  repeatedly  requested  a  court-martial,  but  not  until  178 1  did  he  obtain  a 
trial.  He  was,  however,  completely  acquitted  and  vindicated,  the  decree  being 
concurred  in  and  signed  by  Governor  Hancock.  It  was  a  matter  of  great  regret 
to  Revere  that  his  opportunities  were  restricted  to  the  service  of  the  State.  He 
had  hoped  and  endeavored  to  obtain  a  place  in  the  Continental  Army,  and  was 
greatly  disappointed  at  the  inactivity  of  his  influential  friends  in  his  behalf. 

^77')  Thus  closed   Revere's  service  in  the  war,  which  was  then  waning,  and  he 

continued  assiduously  in  the  business  of  goldsmith  and  silversmith,  which  he 
resumed  when  relieved  from  his  command.  His  last  contribution  to  the  cause 
of  Freedom  was  in  the  interest  of  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution 
when  that  matter  was  being  considered  by  the  statesmen  of  Massachusetts. 

17^'^  Its  fate  hung  in  the  balance,  when  resolutions  were  presented  to  Samuel  Adams, 
as  usual  a  leader  in  the  Convention,  by  Paul  Revere,  representing  the  mechanics 
and  tradesmen  of  Boston  in  public  meeting  assembled.  The  resolutions  were 
effective,  Massachusetts  ratified  the  Constitution,  and  other  States  awaiting  her 
decision  followed  her  example.  As  at  the  beginning  so  at  the  end.  Revere  was 
preeminent  in  establishing  Independence. 

His  unique  abilities  show  to  the  best  advantage  in  his  conquest  over  the 
mechanical  and  chemical  problems  of  the  times,  and  the  services  rendered  the 


Accused  and  Vindicated 


cause  of  liberty  through  these  channels  are  equal  in  importance  to  those  we 
have  related.     One  of  the  first  of  these  was  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder,  at  i-jjd 
Canton,  Massachusetts,  when  the  only  other  source  of  supply  was  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Philadelphia,  and  the  proprietor  of  that  hostile  to  his  enterprise. 
He   succeeded,   nevertheless,   from   the   first,   and   thus    greatly   enlarged    the 
resources  of  the  Northern  Army.     He  was  also  employed  to  oversee  the  cast-  lyyj 
ing  of  cannon,  and  to  engrave  and  print  the  notes  issued  by  Congress  and  by  1775 
Massachusetts.     In  addition  to  his  regular  trade,  he  estabHshed  an  important 
hardware  store  on  Essex  street,  opposite  the  site  of  the  famous  Liberty  Tree  that  ijHs 
was  the  center  of  much  of  the  patriotic  demonstration  of  pre-Revolutionary  times. 

There  was  apparently  no  limit  to  the  variety  of  work  successfully  essayed 
by  Revere,  for  it  is  shown  by  abundant  testimony  that  in  his  younger  days  he 
practiced  with  much  skill  the  making  and  inserting  of  artificial  teeth,  which  art  1768 
he  learned  from  an  English  dentist  temporarily  located  in  Boston,  while  he  also 
designed  many  of  the  frames  that  now  surround  the  paintings  of  his  friend 
Copley.  These  were,  however,  but  incidents  in  comparison  with  the  heroic 
undertakings  of  his  later  years.  Those  were  the  days  of  beginnings;  when 
everything  started  from  the  fundamental  elements  and  those  elements  were  dif- 
ficult to  procure.  No  task  appalled  him,  and  many  of  nature's  secrets  yielded 
to  his  persistent  investigations.  In  1789  he  established  an  iron  foundry  of  con- 
siderable capacity,  and  in  1792  began  casting  church  bells,  the  first  of  which,  still 
in  existence,  was  for  the  Second  Church  of  Boston.  He  cast  many  of  these — 
later  taking  his  son,  Joseph  Warren,  into  the  business — and  examples  of  them 
are  numerous  in  the  old  parishes  of  eastern  Massachusetts.  One  at  Saint 
Paul's  Church,  Newburyport,  has  been  in  continuous  service  until  within  a  few 
months,  and  is  now  preserved  as  a  relic.  Brass  cannon,  and  the  many  sorts 
of  metal-work  needed  for  the  building  and  equipping  of  ships,  of  which  the 
National  Government  was  a  large  purchaser,  were  a  part  of  the  regular  product  1794- 
of  this  establishment.  He  invented  a  process  of  treating  copper  that  enabled 
him  to  hammer  and  roll  it  while  hot,  thus  greatly  facilitating  the  manufacture 
of  the  bolts  and  spikes  needed  in  this  work. 

In  many  respects  the  most  important  of  all  Revere's  enterprises  was  that 
of  rolling  copper  into  large  sheets,  inaugurated  at  Canton,  Massachusetts,  in  the 
year  1800.  Concerning  this.  Revere  says  in  a  letter  of  December  22,  that  year: 
"I  have  engaged  to  build  me  a  mill  for  rolling  copper  into  sheets,  which  for  me 
is  a  very  great  undertaking,  and  will  require  every  farthing  which  I  can  rake  or 
scrape."  It  should  be  remembered  that  his  foundry  and  silversmithy  were  still 
in  operation,  and  therefore  the  aggregate  of  capital  required  was  considerable. 
He  secured  aid  from   the   United   States   Government  to   the  extent  of  ten 


Brazier 


Practical   Versatility 


iNCOCK- 


.ARKE 


1801 


'^^c^-^S^^Ti'SS-^^j^^*^- 


exmgton 


thousand  dollars,  which 
was  to  be,  and  subse- 
quently was,  taken  up  in 
sheet  copper.     This  was 
the  first   copper  rolling 
mill  in  the  country  and  it 
occasioned    much   favor- 
able comment,  the  more 
"I  especially  as   every  such 
triumph  severed  a  bond 
of  dependency  upon  the 
mother  country,  besides 
developing  the  power  of 
our   own.      Here  were 
made  the  plates — five  feet 
long,  three  feet  wide,  and 
/(S'opo'ne-quarter  inch  thick — for  the  boilers  of  Robert  Fulton's  steam  engines,  and 
the  sheets  for  sheathing  many  ships  of  war.     In  1828  the  business  was  incorpo- 
rated as  the  Revere  Copper  Company,  and  under  this  name  is  still  conducted. 
The  cares  and  duties  of  a  busy  life  did  not  prevent  Revere  from  cultiva- 
ting its  social  side,  and  here,  as  in  other  fields,  he  attained  distinction.     He  was 
the  first  Entered  Apprentice  to  be  received  into  Saint  Andrew's  Lodge  of  Free 
Masons,  and  ten  years  later,  in  1770,  became  its  Master.     He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  its  Grand  Master 
from  1794  to  1797.      In  this  capacity  he  assisted  Governor  Samuel  Adams  at 
179:  tne  laying  of  the  cornerstone  of  the  Massachusetts  State  House,  July  4,  1795, 

and  also  delivered  an  address  on  that  occasion. 

I  ^  In  1783   Saint  Andrew's   Lodge   was 

01  Q  <-^^^^.  divided  upon  the  question  of  remaining  under 

the  jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Scot- 
land, which  had  chartered  both  it  and  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts,  or  ofaflilia- 
ting  with  the  latter.  Twenty-nine  members 
favored  the  old  arrangement,  while  twenty- 
three,  including  Revere,  desired  to  change. 
The  minority  withdrew  and  formed  the  Rising 
^'States  Lodge,  September,  1784,  with  Paul 
Revere  its  first  Master.  He  made  jewels  for 
these  Lodges,  and  engraved  and  printed 
elaborate  certificates  of  membership  and 
notification  cards. 

At  the  death  of  General  Washington  he 
was  made  one  of  a  committee  of  three  Past 
Grand  Masters  to  write  a  letter  of  condolence 
to  Mrs.  Washington,  and  to  solicit  from  her 
a  lock  of  the  hero's  hair.  This  request  was 
granted,  and  Revere  executed  a  golden  urn, 
about  four  inches  in  height,  for  the  reception 
of  the  relic.  He  was  one  of  the  pall-bearers 
ry/^  I  at  the  observance  of  Washington's  funeral  by 
'  the   Masons   of   Boston,   and   prepared   the 


1800  .W^^^i^. 


Lexington 


Social  Attainments 


insignia,  a  large  white  mar- 
ble urn  on  a  pedestal  cov-  rSoo 
ered  with  a  pall  and  bearing 
other  suitable  emblems. 

Through  correspond- 
ence he  cultivated  the  ac- 
quaintance of  relatives  in 
Guernsey  and  in  France, 
and  from  them  learned 
much  family  history,  often 
contributing  on  his  part 
patriotic  defence  of  his 
country  and  its  French 
^^:  allies,  of  whom  his  cousin 
i/^'f- J  LJ  r~^  LJ  in  Guernsey  was  especially 

nilchen    nANCocK-CLARKE  nouse dtnund^torj. 

A  lasting  monument  to  the  ruling  passion  of  his  life  is  the  Massachusetts 
Charitable   Mechanics  Association  which,  chiefly  through  his  instrumentality, 
was  formed  in  1795.     He  was  its  first  president,  and  continued  in  that  office  ryg^ 
until  1799,  when  he  declined  reelection,  although  his  interest  in  its  affairs  was 
undiminished  and  his  counsel  its  main  dependence. 

Forty  years  old  when  he  rode  on  the  midnight  alarm,  Paul  Revere  gave 
the  prime  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his  country.  His  earlier  years  of  enthu- 
siasm had  prepared  the  way,  and  his  later  years  reaped  the  reward  of  his 
patriotism,  industry  and  virtue.  This  reward  was  both  material  and  temporal. 
From  the  people  he  had  unqualified  respect  and  abundant  honors,  while  his 
own  talents  had  provided  him  with  a  competency  that  enabled  him  to  live  well, 
to  educate  a  large  family  of  children,  and  finally  to  leave  them  in  comfortable 
circumstances. 

He  died  May  10,  1818,  aged  83  years,  and  was  buried  in  the   Granary  1818 
Burial  Ground  in   the   company   of  his   former   friends,   John   Hancock  and 
Samuel  Adams,  and  in  the  center  of  the  scenes  of  his  activity  —  almost  under 
the  shadow  of  the  State  House  whose  cornerstone  he  helped  to  set  and  whose 
significance  he  had  labored  to  establish. 

Paul  Revere  was  the  man  for  the  times,  and  the  times  developed  Paul 
Revere.  His  works  are  history,  and  his  personality  is  a  profitable  and  inspir- 
ing study  for  all  who  regard  public  worth  and  private  virtue  and  integrity. 


Obituary  ' 


PAUL      REVERE'S     RIDE 


IS  TEN,  my  children,  and  you  shall  hear 
f         Of  the  midnight  ride  of  Paul  Revere, 

On  the  eighteenth  of  April,  in  Seventy-five ; 
Hardly  a  man  is  now  alive 
Who  remembers  that  famous  day  and  year. 
He  said  to  his  friend,  "  If  the  British  march 
By  land  or  sea  from  the  town  to-night, 
Hang  a  lantern  aloft  in  the  belfry  arch 
Of  the  North  Church  tower  as  a  signal  light, — 
One,  if  by  land,  and  two,  if  by  sea  j 
And  I  on  the  opposite  shore  will  be, 
Ready  to  ride  and  spread  the  alarm 
Through  every  Middlesex  village  and  farm, 
For  the  countr)'-folk  to  be  up  and  to  arm." 
Then  he  said,  "Good  night!"  and  with  muffled  oar 
Silently  rowed  to  the  Charlestown  shore, 
Just  as  the  moon  rose  over  the  bay, 
Where  swinging  wide  at  her  moorings  lay 
The  Somerset,  British  man-of-war; 
A  phantom  ship,  with  each  mast  and  spar 
Across  the  moon  like  a  prison  bar. 
And  a  huge  black  hulk,  that  was  magnified 
By  its  own  reflection  in  the  tide. 
Meanwhile,  his  friend,  through  alley  and  street. 
Wanders  and  watches  with  eager  ears. 
Till  in  the  silence  around  him  he  hears 
The  muster  of  men  at  the  barrack  door, 
The  sound  of  arms,  and  the  tramp  of  feet. 
And  the  measured  tread  of  the  grenadiers. 
Marching  down  to  their  boats  on  the  shore. 
Then  he  climbed  the  towerof  the  Old  North  Church, 
By  the  wooden  stairs,  with  stealthy  tread, 
To  the  belfry-chamber  overhead. 
And  startled  the  pigeons  from  their  perch 
On  the  somber  rafters,  that  round  him  made 
Masses  and  moving  shapes  of  shade, — 
By  the  trembling  ladder,  steep  and  tall. 
To  the  highest  window  in  the  wall. 
Where  he  paused  to  listen  and  look  down 
A  moment  on  the  roofs  of  the  town. 
And  the  moonlight  flowing  over  all. 
Beneath,  in  the  churchyard,  lay  the  dead, 
In  their  night-encampment  on  the  hill. 
Wrapped  in  silence  so  deep  and  still 
That  he  could  hear,  like  a  sentinel's  tread, 
The  watchful  night-wind,  as  it  went 
Creeping  along  from  tent  to  tent. 
And  seeming  to  whisper,  "All  is  well!" 
A  moment  only  he  feels  the  spell 
Of  the  place  and  the  hour,  and  the  secret  dread 
Of  the  lonely  belfry  and  the  dead  ; 
For  suddenly  all  his  thoughts  are  bent 
On  a  shadowy  something  far  away. 
Where  the  river  widens  to  meet  the  bay,— 
A  line  of  black  that  bends  and  floats 
On  the  rising  tide,  like  a  bridge  of  boats. 
Meanwhile,  impatient  to  mount  and  ride 
Booted  and  spurred,  with  a  heavy  stride 
On  the  opposite  shore  walked  Paul  Revere. 
Now  he  patted  his  horse's  side, 
Now  gazed  at  the  landscape  far  and  near. 
Then,  impetuous,  stamped  the  earth. 
And  turned  and  tightened  his  saddle-girth  j 
But  mostly  he  watched  with  eager  search 
The  belfry  tower  of  the  Old  North  Church, 
As  It  rose  above  the  graves  on  the  hill, 


Lonely  and  spectral  and  somber  and  still. 

And  lo!  as  he  looks,  on  the  belfry's  height, 

A  glimmer,  and  then  a  gleam  of  light! 

He  springs  to  the  saddle,  the  bridle  he  turns. 

But  lingers  and  gazes,  till  full  on  his  sight 

A  second  lamp  in  the  belfry  burns  ! 

A  hurry  of  hoofs  in  a  village  street, 

A  shape  in  the  moonlight,  a  bulk  in  the  dark, 

And  beneath,  from  the  pebbles,  in  passing,  a  spark 

Struck  out  by  a  steed  flying  fearless  and  fleet  : 

That  was  all  !  And  yet,  through  the  gloom  and 

the  light, 
The  fate  of  a  nation  was  riding  that  night ; 
And  the  spark  struck  out  by  that  steed,  in  his  flight. 
Kindled  the  land  into  flame  with  its  heat. 
He  has  left  the  village  and  mounted  the  steep, 
And  beneath  him,  tranquil  and  broad  and  deep. 
Is  the  Mystic,  meeting  the  ocean  tides  ; 
And  under  the  alders,  that  skirt  its  edge, 
Now  soft  on  the  sand,  now  loud  on  the  ledge. 
Is  heard  the  tramp  of  his  steed  as  he  rides. 
It  was  twelve  by  the  village  clock 
When  he  crossed  the  bridge  into  Medford  town. 
He  heard  the  crowing  of  the  cock, 
And  the  barking  of  the  farmer's  dog, 
And  felt  the  damp  of  the  river  fog. 
That  rises  after  the  sun  goes  down. 
It  was  one  by  the  village  clock, 
When  he  galloped  into  Lexington. 
He  saw  the  gilded  weathercock 
Swim  in  the  moonlight  as  he  passed, 
And  the  meeting-house  windows,  blank  and  bare. 
Gaze  at  him  with  a  spectral  glare. 
As  if  they  already  stood  aghast 
At  the  bloody  work  they  would  look  upon. 

It  was  two  by  the  village  clock. 

When  he  came  to  the  bridge  in  Concord  town. 

He  heard  the  bleating  of  the  flock, 

And  the  twitter  of  birds  among  the  trees. 

And  felt  the  breath  of  the  morning  breeze 

Blowing  over  the  meadows  brown. 

And  one  was  safe  and  asleep  in  his  bed 

Who  at  the  bridge  would  be  first  to  fall. 

Who  that  day  would  be  lying  dead. 

Pierced  by  a  British  musket-ball. 

You  know  the  rest.      In  the  books  you  have  read, 
How  the  British  Regulars  fired  and  fled, — 
How  the  farmers  gave  them  ball  for  ball, 
From  behind  each  fence  and  farm-yard  wall. 
Chasing  the  red-coats  down  the  lane, 
Then  crossing  the  fields  to  emerge  again 
Under  the  trees  at  the  turn  of  the  road. 
And  only  pausing  to  fire  and  load. 

So  through  the  night  rode  Paul  Revere  ; 

And  so  through  the  night  went  his  cry  of  alarm 

To  every  Middlesex  village  and  farm, — 

A  cry  of  defiance  and  not  of  fear, 

A  voice  in  the  darkness,  a  knock  at  the  door. 

And  a  word  that  shall  echo  forevermore  ! 

For,  borne  on  the  night-wind  of  the  Past, 

Through  all  our  history  to  the  last, 

In  the  hour  of  darkness  and  peril  and  need, 

The  people  will  waken  and  listen  to  hear 

The  hurrying  hoof-beats  of  that  steed, 

And  the  midnight  message  of  Paul  Revere. 

— Longfellotv . 


Printed  by  special  arrangement  with  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  publishers  of  Longfellow's  Works. 


THE        PAULREVERE 

is  fourth  of  a  series  of  patterns  inspired  by  diiFerent  yet  characteristic  phases  ot  the 
"Old  Colonial"  stvle.  "Colonial,"  "Georgian"  and  "Newbury"  have 
successively  and  successfully  embodied  this  in  its  more  elaborate  aspects,  but  it  is  reserved 
for  the  "  Paul  Revere"  to  exemplify  the  elegant  simplicity  which,  the  more  especially 
in  silverware,  distinguishes  the  taste  of  our  forefathers.  The  threads  that  form  its  only 
ornamentation  may  be  found  on  much  of  the  early  work,  notably  on  that  of  Paul  Revere, 
whose  conspicuous  abilities  in  this  and  other  fields  have  made  his  name  immortal,  and 
the  story  of  whose  life  is  briefly  told  in  the  preceding  pages. 

This  pattern  is  made  in  medium  and  heavy  weights,  all  of  which  from  the  nature 
of  its  construction  are  substantial,  and  may  be  found  in  the  stocks  ot  leading  jewelers  ot 
the  United  States  and  Canada.  Purchasers  of  silverware  should  see  that  goods  offered 
bear  this  trade-mark,  which  is  a  guarantee  of  Sterling  quality. 


Towle  Mfg  Company   Silversmiths 

NEWBURY  PORT      MASSACHUSETTS      .-.      CHlCA(i()      ILLIXOIS 
\  E  W      YORK      CITY 

THE  TOWLE  MFG  COMPANY  DOES  NO  RETAIL  BUSINESS  ANYWHERE 


Tea  Spoon 
Nos.  16  and 


pAULnEVERL 


Coffee  Spoon. 


Dessert  Spoon. 
Nos  24  28  and  32 


Tea  Spoon.  P.M. 


ACTUAL    SIZE 

Sterling  Silver 
925 


Table  Spoon. 
Nos   33.  39  and  45. 


1000 


FINE 


L_ 


Paul  Revere 


Table  Fork 
Nos.  33,  39  and  45. 


Dessert  Fork. 
Nos.  24,  28  and  32 


Bouillon  Spoon. 


Chocolate  Spoon. 


ACTUAL    SIZE 


Soup  Spoon. 


Sterling  Silver 
925 


1000 


FINE 


Butter  Spreader. 


PaulRevere 


Butter  Spreader,     large. 


Jelly  Knife. 


ACTUAL    SIZE 


Sterling  Silver 
925 

ToTo  ^'^^ 

Butter    Knife. 


Butter  Knife  Pick. 


2± 


Child's  Knife. 


PaulRevere 


Child's  Fork. 


Child's  Knife,  H.H. 


ACTUAL    SIZE 


Fruit  Knife. 


Sterling  Silver 

925 

-^^   FINE 
1000 

Butter  Spreader,  H.H. 


Medium  Knife. 


Dessert  Knife. 


Bird  Carver 


Steel. 


Jird  Fork 


Sterling  Silver 
925 


1 000 


FINE 


ACTUAL    SIZE 


Paul  Revere 


Salad  Spoon. 


Bonbon  Scoop. 


Salad  Fork. 


individual   Fish  Fork. 


Paul  Revere 


Spinach  Fork. 


Cold  Meat  Fork. 


6   ^ 


ACTUAL    SIZE 


Sterling  Silver 
925 


1 000 


FINE 


"s. 


Sardine  Fork,  large. 


PaulRevere 


Asparagus  Fork. 


Sardine  Fork,  small. 


PaulRevere 


(ce  Cream  Fork. 


Berry  Fork. 


Toast  Server. 


Pickle  Fork. 


PaulRevere 


Lemon  Server. 


Cucumber    Server. 


PaulRevere 


Sugar   Tongs 


Asparagus  Tongs. 


Tete-a-tete   Tongs, 


Lettuce  Fork. 


Baptismal  Basin 

First  Church  ^Christ 
Marblehead 

The   Towle   Mfg   Company 

would  acknowledge  indebtedness  to 
MR.   ELBRIGE  ?IENRY  GOSS 

Author  of  the  Life  of  Col.   Paul  Re-vere 

MR.  BENJAMIN  F.   STEVENS 

Author  of  A  Chapter  of  Pro-vincial  History 

MR.   EDWARD  W.   McGLENEN 

for  access  to  Paul  Re-vere  engra-vings 

AND  TO  MR.  N.  L.  RUSH  and 
MISS  ADA  R.   CONWAY 

for  other  illustrations. 

CoMPILEn   AND   ARRANGED   BY 

GEORGE  P.  TILTON  of  the  Towle  Mfg  Company 

Printed  by 

THE  SOUTHGATE   PRESS 
BOSTON,    U.  S    A 


NEWBURYPORT,  1697.    Whittier. 

UP  AND  DOWN  THE  VILLAGE  STREETS 
STRANGE    ARE    THE  FORMS  MY  FANCY 

MEETS, 
FOR    THE    THOUGHTS  AND  THINGS   OF 

TO-DAY    ARE    HID, 
AND  THROUGH  THE  VEIL  OF  A  CLOSED 

LID 
THE  ANCIENT  WORTHIES  I  SEE  AGAIN. 


The 

(toloninl 

of  the 

TowLE  Mfg.  Co. 

Which  is  intended  to  De- 
lineate and  Describe  some 
Quaint  and  Historic  Places 
in  Newburyport  and  Vicin- 
ity and  show  the  Origin  and 
Beauty  of  the  Colonial 
Pattern     of     Silverware. 

Cof^right,  1808 


NEWBURYPORT 

HE  history  of  Newburyport  is  variously 
written,  and,  in  a  way,  completely  re- 
corded; but  this  mass  of  material,  precious 
as  it  is,  only  suggests  the  wealth  of  romance 
centering  about  the  old  town,  locked  up 
in  journals  and  log-books,  or  fading  away 
in  the  memories  of  the  few  relicts  of  earlier 
and  more  picturesque  times. 
The  ideals  of  to-day,  here  as  everywhere  else,  are  properly  busi- 
ness and  progress  on  the  lines  of  modern  opportunities;  and  this 
is  the  same  spirit  of  enterprise  which  led  our  progenitors  of 
seventy-five  or  one  hundred  years  ago  to  their  undertakings  by 
sea  and  land,  and  brought  them  riches  and  renown  in  such 
generous  measure. 

That  they  are  interesting  and  picturesque  is  merely  incidental; 
their  purpose  was  as  matter-ot-fact  and  practical  as  any  to-day, 
and  as  well  attained;  but  time  and  changed  customs  lend  charm 
to  their  personalities,  while  many  of  their  deeds  are  records  of 
bravery  and  greatness  that  would  be  memorable  under  any 
conditions. 

Going  back  still  further,  to  its  first  settlement  in  1635,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Parker  river,  called  by  the  Indians  Quascacunquen 
and  renamed  by  the  settlers  in  honor  of  their  spiritual  leader, 
we  see  a  band  of  sturdy  vovagers  giving  up  the  comforts  of  life 
in  the  mother  country  for  the  rugged  hardships  of  a  wilderness, 
and  between  them  a  long  and  tedious  passage  over  a  stormy  sea 
in  the  small  vessels  and  with  the  scant  knowledge  of  that  day. 
Some  of  them  had  the  previous  summer  journeyed  from  Boston 
to  Ipswich,  then  the  outpost,  where  they  were  joined  by  later 
arrivals;  and  traveling  by  land  even  for  so  short  a  distance  being 


Zit  Colonial  i$oo1^ 


difEcnlt,  they  loaded  their  goods  in  open  boats  and  followed  the 
shore  to  the  pleasant  haven  which  had  been  selected  for  their 
home.  They  were  not  needy  nor  driven  to  this  step  for  a  liveli- 
hood, as  one  of  their  first  acts  was  stock  raising  on  an  extensive 
scale  with  cattle  imported  from  Holland,  and  in  the  company 
were  graduates  of  Oxford  University.  They  soon  established 
a  thriving  *' plantation,"  as  it  was  then  termed,  and  were  early 
incorporated  and  represented  by  deputy  at  the  General  Court 
held  in  Boston  to  administer  the  affairs  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

If  we  would  realize  the  strength  of  purpose  which  sustained 
these  colonists,  we  must  picture  the  conditions  which  confronted 
them.  The  severity  of  New  England  winter;  their  isolation 
and  lack  of  material  resources,  for  almost  everything  must  be 
laboriously  wrought  out;  their  danger  from  wild  beasts  and 
hostile  Indians;  and  the  uncertainty  of  those  crops  which  meant 
so  much  for  their  good  or  ill. 

That  they  persevered  and  succeeded,  Newburyport  is  the  evi- 
dence; but  the  story  of  their  trials  and  achievements  is  a  reproach 
to  the  easy  critic  of  the  present,  who  reaps  with  little  labor 
benefits  for  which  they  struggled  and  hoped,  but  of  which,  for 
the  most  part,  they  had  little  comprehension. 

That  they  were  devout  people  needs  no  saying,  their  public 
religious  worship  commencing  under  a  spreading  tree,  the  first 
Sunday  after  their  arrival.  That  they  also  recognized  the  needs 
of  the  body  as  well  as  the  soul,  is  evidenced  by  the  license 
granted  by  the  General  Court  to  one  of  the  setders,  within  six 
months  of  their  arrival,  to  keep  an  ordinary,  or  inn,  for  the 
entertainment  of  such  as  needed.  This  community  was  early  in 
establishing  important  enterprises  which,  with  the  systematic 
parceling  out  of  the  land  and  the  development  and  management 
of  current  affairs,  gave  them  abundant  occupation  and  shows 
their  remarkable  energy  and  busmess  capacity.  The  descendants 
of  these  pioneers  occupy  practically  the  same  lands  to-day, 
which  are  among  the  most  prosperous  farms  of  the  region. 

The  growth  of  the  town  was  to  the  northward,  and  soon 
from  the  shelter  of  the  "Oldtown"  hills  the  settlement  stretched 


lE^'bt  Colonial  l$oo1^  id^ 


along  the  bank  of  the  Merrimac,  and,  embracing  eagerly  the 
opportunities  it  offered,  encouraged  maritime  enterprises  in  every 
way,  until  with  the  building  of  wharves  and  the  establishment  of 
ship-yards  began  the  era  which  was  to  give  to  Newburyport  its 
real  power  and  position.  The  small  vessels  for  fishing  became 
numerous,  and  were  followed  by  larger  and  more  pretentious 
craft,  which  carried  to  foreign  ports  the  products  of  the  country, 
and  brought  back  the  rich  goods  and  outfittings  needed  in  the 
rapidly  developing  community,  or  distributed  through  surround- 
ing and  inland  towns. 

Through  this  commerce  came  wealth  and  culture,  and  many 
are  the  evidences  of  magnificent  living  among  the  rich  merchants, 
while  the  numerous  ship-masters  returned  from  foreign  lands  with 
minds  broadened  and  stimulated  by  contact  with  other  peoples 
and  tastes  formed  which  greatly  modified  the  old  Puritan  customs. 

The  town  furnished  many  troops  for  the  Colonial  and  Indian 
wars,  and  was  foremost  in  the  demonstration  against  the  Stamp 
Act,  also  heartily  supporting  the  Revolutionary  war  from  the  first 
Lexington  alarm.  In  these  troops  were  officers  of  high  rank 
whose  deeds  of  valor  are  national  history. 

The  naval  forces  were  greatly  strengthened  by  ships  built 
here,  and  from  here  also  numerous  privateers  sailed  with  letters 
of  marque  and  returned  with  rich  prizes  to  be  in  turn  fitted  out 


on  the  same  errands.  Many  are  the  thrilling  tales  of  capture, 
imprisonment,  and  escape  told  by  the  returning  heroes,  and  it  is 
small  wonder  that  with  the  prospect  of  booty  and  adventure  active 
young  men  took  naturally  to  the  sea. 

Commercial  activity  suffered  a  severe  blow  in  the  embargo 
placed  on  foreign  trade  by  the  government  in  1807,  and  while 
it  lasted  shipping  was  at  a  complete  standstill.  A  few  years 
later,  in  1 8 1  i ,  came  a  second  misfortune,  in  the  form  of  the 
great  fire  which  in  one  night  destroyed  sixteen  acres  of  the  busi- 
ness district,  including  nearly  all  the  important  public  buildings 
and  institutions.  Though  in  a  measure  soon  recovered  from, 
these  calamities  served  to  seriously  check  advancing  prosperity, 
and  while  later  there  were  large  importing  interests  they  failed 
to  reach  their  former  importance,  and  have  now,  with  changed 
methods  of  transportation,  almost  entirely  disappeared.  In 
their  place  have  come  mills  and  factories  with  their  attendant 
needs  and  influences,  bringing  a  larger  if  not  a  wealthier  popu- 
lation, and  it  is  by  these  that  the  city  must  continue  to  thrive. 

The  manufacture  of  silverware  is  one  of  these  factors,  which, 
having  its  beginning  as  shown  by  authentic  record  in  the  modest 


Zfft  €olonUl  l^oofe 


enterprise  of  William  Moulton  in  1689,  has  steadily  developed 
until  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  important  industries;  and  it  is 
especially  fitting  that  a  Colonial  pattern  of  spoons  and  like  table- 
ware should  be  produced  where  one  of  the  first  silversmiths  of  the 
country  worked,  and  established  a  business  which  has  been  con- 
tinued without  interruption  to  the  present  day. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  in  this  connection  that  here  was  born 
Jeremiah  Dummer,  who,  in  1659,  was  apprenticed  to  John  Hull 
of  Boston,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that  place  and  the  first  silver- 
smith in  America.  Jeremiah  Dummer,  who  was  thus  the  first 
native  American  to  practise  this  art,  was  afterward  judge  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Suffolk  County,  and  was  the  father  of 
WUIiam  Dummer,  governor  of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts. 

Another  Newburyport  silversmith  who  attained  prominence 
outside  his  profession  was  Jacob  Perkins,  who,  in  178 1,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen,  was  by  the  death  of  his  master  left  in  charge  of  his 
business,  and  who  at  twenty-one  was  employed  to  make  dies  for 
the  Massachusetts  Mint.  He  afterward  became  famous  as  an 
inventor,  and  removed  to  London,  where  his  genius  was  recognized 
by  the  Society  of  Liberal  Arts,  and  he  was  rewarded  with  their 
medals. 

During  this  eventful  history  many  men  have  arisen  here  to  be 
enrolled  among  the  world's  acknowledged  benefactors,  and  a 
few  of  these  were  noticed  on  another  page,  in  connection  with 
the  places  enriched  by  their  remembrance. 

The  growing  interest  in  such  matters  fostered  by  historical 
societies,  improvement  societies,  and  the  various  organizations  of 
descendants  of  Revolutionary  patriots,  is  a  marked  sign  of  the 
times,  and  to  such  it  is  hoped  these  pages  will  appeal;  while  to 
those  who  may  visit  Newburyport,  they  will  serve  as  an  intro- 
duction: and  others,  far  away,  may  realize  some  of  the  beauties 
and  attractions  of  this  old  New  England  city 


OfNEWBWjw, 


Zf^t  €oloninl  l$ook 


THE   EARLY   WARS. 

IN  the  foregoing  sketch  we  have  briefly  touched  upon  the  part 
of  Old  Newbury,  and  later,  Newburyport,  in  our  country's 
early  wars.  Their  record  in  the  establishment  and  defence 
of  our  National  government  can  be  but  outlined  here,  yet  how- 
ever incomplete  this  account,  it  seems  fit  at  a  time  of  such  wide 
awaking  to  the  glory  of  our  past,  when  individuals  recall  with 
justifiable  pride  the  services  of  patriotic  ancestors,  that  the  brilliant 
acromplishments,  and  also  the  not  less  glorious  though  unavailing 
efforts  of  a  community,  be  indicated  for  the  many  to  whom  the 
fiill  history  is  not  available. 

In  the  early  expeditions  against  hostile  Indians,  Newbury  took 
an  important  part,  from  the  Pequod  war  two  years  after  her 
settlement,  in  which  she  furnished  one-fifteenth  of  the  Massachu- 
setts quota;  the  King  Philip  war,  in  which  more  than  one-half 
her  eligible  inhabitants  were  enlisted;  the  French  and  Indian 
war,  when  a  part  of  her  expedition  against  Cape  Breton  was  cast 
away  and  lost;  to  the  war  with  the  Norridgewocks,  which  was 
terminated  by  the  killing  of  Sebastian  Ralle,  their  French  leader, 
by  Lieut.  Jaques  of  tiiis  town. 

During  the  frequent  wars  between  France  and  England,  while 
this  country  was  still  a  colony,  many  men  went  from  here,  to  fight 
in  England's  cause  on  the  Canadian  frontier.  Chief  among  those 
were  Col.  Moses  Titcomb,  Capt.  William  Davenport,  and 
Nathaniel  Knapp.  The  former,  serving  in  many  campaigns  under 
Sir  William  Pepperell,  took  part  in  the  capture  of  Louisburg  and 
the  battle  of  Crown  Point,  where  he  was  shot  while  directing  his 
regiment  in  most  effective  operations.  Capt.  Davenport  raised 
companies  and  served  in  two  campaigns,  being  with  Gen.  Wolfe 
on  the  plains  of  Abraham,  and  a  few  days  later  at  the  surrender 
of  Quebec. 

It  was  reserved,  however,  for  the  thrilling  issues  of  the  war 
of  independence  to  call  forth  the  universal  and  unwavering 
patriotism  of  the  residents  of  old  Newbury. 

The  story  of  pre-revolutionary  agitation  in  Newburyport  is 
one  of  steadily  threatening  protest,  from  the  first  application  of 


Wi)t  Colonial  l^ook 


ihe  Stamp  Act.  As  early  as  1765  a  stamp  distributor  was  hung 
in  effigy,  while  visiting  strangers  were  subjected  to  rough  hand- 
ling, if  they  were  not  quick  to  proclaim  their  antipathy  to  this 
measure.  Such  treatment  was  perforce  exercised  upon  strangers, 
if  at  all,  as  in  tbis  town  only  four  persons  were  suspected  of 
loyalism  and  of  these  there  was  proof  against  but  one,  who  died 
before  the  call  to  war  which  would  have  revealed  his  position. 
This  was  a  record  perhaps  unequalled. 

From  that  time  to  the  actual  outbreak  of  hostilities,  Newbury- 
port  was  in  a  ferment  of  restrained  rebellion;  this  unity  of  opinion 
and  harmony  of  action  would  have  been  impossible  In  a  lesser 
cause,  and  was  the  more  remarkable  when  we  consider  that  such 
action  meant  the  sacrifice  of  a  large  part  of  the  town's  greatest 
interest,  her  commerce  and  its  dependent  shipbuilding,  and  that 
the  rejection  of  British  goods  meant  the  retirement  of  the  many 
vessels  in  that  trade. 

This  was  the  actual  result ;  but  instead  of  turning  the  people 
from  their  elected  course  it  added  to  their  determination,  and  they 
organized  to  prevent  possible  smuggling  of  the  detested  com- 
modities. Under  the  wise  and  temperate  leadership  of  the 
Committee  of  Safety,  they  corresponded  with  neighboring  towns 
and  the  remoter  colonies,  and  when  the  first  blow  was  struck  at 
Lexington  it  found  them  ready  and  impatient  for  the  great 
struggle  for  civil  liberty. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  at  night  on  the  nineteenth  of  April, 
1775,  when  the  courier  bearing  news  of  the  fight  at  Lexington 
reached  this  town;  but  not  a  moment  was  lost,  and  before  mid- 
night the  first  detachment  of  minute-men  was  galloping  over  the 
road,  while  morning  found  four  companies  on  the  way  to  the 
scene  of  conflict.  At  the  termination  of  this  alarm  these  compa- 
nies returned, but  others  were  soon  formed  for  regular  service 
in  the  Continental  army,  and  did  memorable  work  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 


Zfit  €oloninl  l$ooik 

Space  forbids  following  these  troops  through  this  and  other 
battles,  but  a  (ew  figures  rise  pre-eminent,  and  no  account,  how- 
ever slight,  would  be  complete  without  them. 

Col.  Moses  Little  was  in  command  of  a  regiment  in  many 
important  battles  of  the  Revolution,  beginning  with  Bunker  Hill, 
where  he  was  officer  of  the  day  when  Washington  took  command. 
On  account  of  ill  health  brought  on  in  the  service,  he  declined 
the  commission  of  brigadier  general,  and  the  command  of  a 
special  expedition  raised  by  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts. 

Col.  Edward  Wigglesworth  was  appointed  to  a  regiment  early 
in  1776,  and  served  with  distinction  for  three  years,  when  he 
was  retired  at  his  own  request.  He  took  a  prominent  part  in 
Arnold's  expedition  on  Lake  Champlain,  being  third  in  com- 
mand, and  materially  aided  the  retreat  of  the  flotilla  when  it 
was  hemmed  in  by  the  enemy. 

Captain,  afterward  Major,  Ezra  Lunt  was  another  who  served 
at  Bunker  Hill,  and  it  is  asserted  that  his  company  was  formed 
in  the  broad  aisle  of  the  Old  South  church  at  the  close  of  a  sermon, 
in  response  to  the  pastor's  appeal  for  volunteers;  and  that  it  was 
the  first  volunteer  company  of  the  Continental  army. 

Here  formed  and  embarked  the  important  expedition  under 
Benedict  Arnold,  then  a  valued  officer  in  the  patriot  army,  which, 
penetrating  to  Quebec,  assisted  Montgomery  in  liis  gallant  assault. 

As  it  was  with  maritime  affairs  that  Newburyport  was  chiefly 
identified,  it  is  to  the  sea  that  we  must  look  for  her  most  brilliant 
and  individual  victories. 

Congress  soon  realized  that  our  shipping  was  being  rapidly  ex- 
terminated by  the  armed  vessels  of  the  enemy,  and  issued  letters 
of  marque  to  assist  the  feeble  and  barely  established  navy  in  re- 
taliating for  these  encroachments;  ship  owners  here  were  not 
slow  to  accept  these  privileges,  and  many  privateers  were  fitted 
out  and  manned,  often  by  the  flower  of  the  town's  youth;  one 


of  these,  the  Yankee  Hero,  the  second  of  that  name,  sailing  in 
1775  under  Capt.  James  Tracy,  with  twenty  guns  and  a  crew 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy  men,  including  fifty  from  Newbury- 
port's  first  families,  was  never  afterward  heard  from. 

The  spirit  that  animated  these  bold  mariners  may  be  judged 
from  the  announcement  made  on  the  occasion  of  prayers  in  church 
for  the  success  of  the  Game  Cock,  the  first  privateer  to  sail  out 
of  any  port,  that  she  hoped  to  •*  scour  the  coast  of  our  unnatural 
enemies,"  though  she  was  a  sloop  of  but  twenty-four  tons. 
She  sailed  from  Newburyport  in  August,  1775,  and  succeeded 
in  bringing  prizes  into  port. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  number  of  these  privateers, 
but  that  they  were  numerous  and  successfiil  will  be  understood 
when  it  is  stated  that  twenty-four  ships  of  which  Mr.  Nathaniel 
Tracy  was  principal  owner,  with  a  tonnage  of  6,330  and  carry- 
ing 2,800  men,  captured  from  the  enemy  one  hundred  and 
twenty  vessels  amounting  to  23,360  tons,  and  which  with  their 
cargoes  were  sold  for  three  million  nine  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
specie  dollars.  Mr.  Tracy  was  also  principal  owner  in  one 
hundred  and  ten  other  vessels,  twenty- three  of  which  were  let- 
ters of  marque.  These  vessels  were  closely  allied  to  the  regular 
navy,  which  was  now  gaining  strength,  and  we  find  the  same  men 
alternating  between  the  command  of  privateers  and  government 
vessels,  as  the  fortunes  of  war  permitted. 

The  frigates  Boston,  Hancock,  and  Protection, 
and  the  brig  Pickering,  were  built  here,  as  well  as 
the  sloop  of  war  Merrimac  which  was  built  by  sub- 
scription and  tendered  to  the  government,  when  its 
fiinds  were  reduced,  to  be  paid  for  at  a  very  low  price 


when  convenient.  She  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Moses  Brown 
of  this  port,  a  remarkably  gallant  sailor,  and  during  the  five  years 
that  she  was  in  commission  made  many  important  captures. 

The  war  ships  Alliance  and  Warren  were  also  built  on  the 
Merrimac,  just  above  Newburyport,  and  were  fitted  out  at  this 
place. 

The  name  of  Paul  Jones,  the  intrepid  and  irresistible  "Citizen 
of  the  World,"  as  he  later  styled  himself,  whose  brilliant  prowess 
was  developed  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  is  connected 
with  Newburyport  through  two  of  his  ablest  lieutenants,  Henry 
and  Cutting  Lunt. 

The  messieurs  Lunt,  cousins,  first  shipped  in  the  brig  Dalton, 
Captain  Eleazer  Johnston,  which  sailed,  with  a  crew  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  men,  November  15,  1776.  The  Dalton 
was  captured,  the  twenty-fourth  of  the  following  December,  by 
the  sixty- four- gun  man-of-war  Reasonable,  of  the  Enghsh  navy, 
and  her  crew  cast  into  Mill  Prison,  Plymouth,  where  they  re- 
mained, and  suffered  great  hardships,  for  more  than  two  years, 
and  were  finally  released  through  the  efforts  of  Benjamin  Frankhn. 
During  this  time  Charles  Herbert  of  Newburyport,  one  of  the 
number,  wrote  a  journal  which  he  preserved  in  spite  of  the  close 
inspection  to  which  they  were  subjected.  After  his  death  this 
journal  was  published  and  forms  a  most  interesting  and  valuable 
record  of  life  in  an  English  prison. 

Henry  and  Cutting  Lunt,  on  obtaining  their  liberty,  went  to 
France  and  enhsted  as  midshipmen  with  Paul  Jones,  on  the  Bon 
Homme  Richard  rh^n  fitting  out  at  L' Orient.  They  were  speedily 
promoted  lieutenants,  and  served  their  able  commander,  whom 
they  greatly  admired,  in  many  of  his  fiercest  engagements,  in- 


eluding  that  with  the  Serapis.  It  was  in  this  terrible  battle,  when 
Commodore  Jones  was  fighting  against  heavy  odd;,,  that  his  success 
was  almost  reversed  by  the  traitorous  act  of  his  subordinate,  the 
Frenchman  Landais.  The  latter  was  in  command  of  the  ship 
Alliance  before  mentioned,  and,  inspired  by  jealousy,  continued 
under  the  presumable  excuse  of  firing  at  the  enemy,  to  rake  the 
decks  of  the  Bon  Homme  Richard,  in  spite  of  the  frantic  signals 
of  the  latter.  Many  Newburyport  men  were  in  the  crew  oi  the 
Alliance  at  that  time,  and  were  thus  obliged  to  fire  on  their 
friends  and  townsmen. 

When  Paul  Jones  was  recruiting  for  a  frigate  building  for  him 
at  Portsmouth,  he  came  to  Newburyport  to  engage  Henry  Lunt, 
and  expressed  great  regret  wnen  he  found  that  Lieutenant  Lunt 
had  sailed  on  the  letter  of  marque  ship  Intrepid,  of  this  port. 
He  remarked  that  he  would  prefer  Mr.  Lunt  to  any  office,  he 
had  ever  known. 

Many  seamen  from  Newburyport  also  served  under  Jones  in 
the  Ranger,  Bon  Homme  Richard^  Alhance,  and  Ariel. 

While  men-of-war  and  privateers  carried  brave  men  to  seek 
the  enemy  abroad,  those  left  at  home  were  far  from  idle.  Ship- 
building was  very  active,  forts  were  established  and  maintained 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  while  the  English  ship  Friends,  which 
had  mistaken  this  port  for  Boston,  was  captured  off  the  bar,  by 
the  stratagem  of  adventurous  spirits  who  had  observed  her  actions 
from  the  town  and  boarded  her  in  open  boats. 

In  1779  the  ship  Vengeance  and  the  schooner  Shark  fitted  out 
here  and  joined  the  ill-fated  expedition  by  which  it  was  intended 
to  overthrow  the  British  military  post  on  the  Penobscot,  but 
which,  after  entering  the  harbor,  was  hemmed  in  by  a  large  fleet 


lE:f)t  Colonial  i^oolt 

of  the  enemies*  ships,  that  appeared  unexpectedly.  Rather  than 
see  them  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  British,  the  commander  of  the 
expiidition  ordered  his  ships  burned,  and  the  crews  found  their 
way  home  overland. 

The  war  of  1 8 1  2  found  Newburyport  just  recovering  from 
the  great  fire  of  1 8 1 1 ,  and  the  paralyzing  Embargo  of  previous 
years.  In  striking  contrast  to  their  war  spirit  in  the  Revolution, 
the  people  of  this  town  were  almost  unanimously  opposed  to  this 
second  war  with  England,  and  this  not  for  reasons  of  mere  com- 
mercial policy,  however  much  they  needed  business,  but  on  the 
ground  that  such  a  war  was  unjustified,  and  that  the  differences 
might  easily  be  settled  in  other  ways.  An  address  adopted  in 
full  town  meeting  was  sent  to  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts, 
in  which  they  deciared  their  willingness  to  stand  by  the  Con- 
stitution and  defend  their  rights,  and  their  equal  unwillingness 
to  take  any  aggressive  part  in  the  proposed  war.  These  senti- 
ments were  in  the  main  adhered  to,  throughout  hostilities,  and 
in  pursuance  of  them,  forts  were  manned  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Merrimac  and  at  other  points  on  Plum  Island,  which  served  to 
keep  at  bay  several  English  ships  that  hovered  around  this  part 
of  the  coast,  in  the  hope  of  destroying  the  sloop  of  war  Wasp 
and  gunboats  Number  Eighty-one  and  Number  Eighty-three, 
then  building  here. 

Although  privatceiing  shared  to  a  great  degree  the  unpopularity 
of  the  war,  quite  a  number  were  fitted  out  here,  some  ot  which 
made  brilhant  records.  Chief  among  these  was  the  brig  Deca- 
tur, Captain  William  Nichols,  which,  during  two  v.eeks  of  one 
voyage,  captured  eight  vessels,  four  of  which  were  armed. 
Earlier  in  the  war  Captain  Nichols  was  in  command  of  the 
merchant  ship  Alert,  which  was  taken  by  the  British  man-of- 
war  Semramis,  and  ordered  to  Plymouth  under  a  guard  from  the 
latter.      Before  reaching  that    port,  however.  Captain  Nichols 


PPIIffippwwatii**'"-''' 


and  his  men  regained  control  of  the  ship  and  imprisoned  the 
British  seamen  in  the  hold.  Unfortunately,  they  soon  fell  in 
with  another  British  ship,  the  Vestal,  which  again  took  them 
and  carried  them  to  Portsmouth,  England.  This  may  have  de- 
termined Captain  Nichols  to  his  latter  course  which  was  of 
undoubted  service  to  the  National  cause. 

Privateering,  though  apparently  very  remunerative  during 
the  war  of  the  Revolution,  did  not  prove  so  in  the  end,  except 
as  it  stimulated  business  for  the  time  being,  and  the  enormous 
fortunes  gained  by  individuals  were  much  rduced  by  later 
losses  and  contributions  to  the  expense  of  war.  [n  addition  to 
the  many  merchant  ships  captured  by  the  English,  twenty-two 
vessels,  carrying  over  one  thousand  men,  sailed  from  here  and 
were  never  afterwards   heard  from. 

In  the  eight  years  from  the  battle  of  Lexingtoii  to  the  proc- 
lamation of  peace,  Newburyport  raised  for  current  expenses 
$2,522,500,  which  was  eighty-five  times  the  aggregate  of 
appropriations  for  an  equal  period  immediately  preceding. 

It  was  at  first  intended  to  print  here  the  names  of  all  who 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  wars,  from  Newbury  and  Newbury- 
port, but  the  impossibility  of  this  becomes  apparent  when  we 
find  that  in  the  neighborhood  of  fifteen  hundred  were  in  the 
army  alone,  at  one  time  or  another;  while  the  number  of  those 
that  were  in  the  navy  or  privateers  would  be  difficult  even  to 
estimate.  In  place  of  this,  the  pubHshers  of  this  book  will  freely 
send  to  any  of  Newbury  or  Newburyport  ancestry,  all  availa- 
ble record  of  any  name  submitted,  or  will,  in  any  other  way 
possible,  identify  early  patriots. 


1tf>t  Colonial  1$oo1k 

ALTHOUGH  commerce  and  ship-building  were  the  chief 
industrial  interests  of  Newburyport  in  its  early  )ears, 
invention  and  manufacturing  were  by  no  means  absent. 
Reference  has  been  made  to  the  antiquity  of  silversmithing  here, 
and  much  more  might  be  said  of  the  extent  of  this  industry,  and 
the  variety  of  articles  manufactured.  Some  of  them,  as  for 
instance  silver  shoe-buckles,  are  now  obsolete,  while  silver  thim- 
bles and  necklaces  of  gold  beads,  though  still  used,  are  not 
commonly  the  product  of  silversmiths.  In  1824,  machinery 
was  invented  here  for  the  manufacture  of  silver  thimbles,  and  an 
extensive  business  was  developed  in  this  line,  but  it  has  long 
since  ceased  to  exist. 

Many  instances  might  be  cited  of  great  men  who  were  trained 
as  gold  or  silversmiths,  but  whose  talents  afterwards  enriched 
other  branches  of  art  or  science.  In  the  old  world,  Cellini  and 
Michael  Angelo  were  prominent  examples,  and,  later,  Paul 
Revere  arose  in  this  country  and  rendered  important  services  for 
the  welfare,  comfort,  and  prosperity  of  a  struggling  people.  In 
like  manner,  Jacob  Perkins,  the  Newburyport  silversmith,  whosa 
great  skill  as  engraver  and  die- cutter,  as  well  as  silversmith,  ii 
elsewhere  referred  to,  was  too  richly  endowed  with  ideas  and 
ambition  to  limit  his  efforts  to  a  narrow  field. 

He  was  born  July  9,  1766,  and  died  July  13,  1849,  after  a 
life  of  versatile  activity  in  the  mechanic  arts  and  sciences,  where, 
in  the  face  of  triumphs  that  would  have  satisfied  many,  we  find 
him  turning  from  one  problem  to  another,  and  gaining  new  laurels 
from  each.  One  of  his  most  important  inventions  was  a  machine 
for  making  nails,  produced  when  he  was  but  twenty-four  years 
of  age.  At  that  time  all  nails  were  forged  by  hand,  and  a  good 
workman  could  produce  one  thousand  in  a  day.  With  his  per- 
fected machines,  the  daily  product  of  one  man  was  increased  to 
ten  kegs,  of  one  hundred  pounds  each. 

He  associated  with  him.self  Messrs  Guppy  &  Armstrong  01 
Newburyport,  who  built  the  machines,  and  together  they  estab- 


lished  a  manufactory  at  Newbury  Falls,  a  part  of  the  town  now 
called  Byfield,  where  water-power  was  available. 

In  the  following  extract  from  an  advertisement  in  the  Impartial 
Herald,  Newburyport,  1795,  Vv^e  catch  a  glimpse  of  business 
methods  in  those  days  of  quaint  customs: — 

The  patentee  would  inform  the  public  that  they  have  begun 
the  manufacture  of  brads,  and  will  have  a  considerable  number 
in  fourteen  or  twenty  days.  As  some  will  naturally  think  they 
cannot  supply  the  whole  continent  and  will  therefore  order  from 
abroad,  they  would  say  that  they  have  three  engines  which  will 
make  thirty-six  Hundred  thousand  weekly,  and  will  add  one 
engine  each  month. 

N.  B.  A  few  whitesmiths  may  have  constant  employ  and 
liberal  wages. 

p       .  J  Jacob  Perkins,  Inventor. 

^  I  Guppy  &  Armstrong. 

To  follow  in  detail  all  the  enterprises  and  achievements  of 
Jacob  Perkins  would  unduly  extend  this  yiticle,  and  we  can  only 
briefly  refer  to  the  most  important. 

He  invented  a  stereotype  check-  plate  for  the  reverse  of  bank- 
bills,  designed  for  the  prevention  of  counterfeiting.  This  was 
very  successflil,  there  being  no  record  of  an  attempt  to  counter- 
feit it,  whereas  the  practice  had  been  very  common  with  those 
previously  used. 

During  the  war  of  181  2,  he  was  employed  by  the  National 
government  in  the  construction  of  machinery  for  boring  out  old 
and  honey-combed  cannon,  and  he  invented  a  steam  gun  that 
discharged  one  thousand  balls  a  minute. 

He  made  great  improvements  in  hardening  and  softening  steel 
and  particularly  applied  these  to  the  engraving  of  that  metal. 

He  demonstrated  the  compressibility  of  water,  inventing  the 
Piezometer  for  this  purpose,  and  invented  instruments  for 
measuring  the  depth  of  the  sea.  On  his  arrival  in  London  in 
1820,  he  published  a  treatise  on  these  subjects.  He  also 
experimented  on  new  types  of  the  steam  engine,  in  some  employ- 


.f^^m^m. 


ing  steam  at  a  pressure  cf  65  atmospheres,  or  975  pounds  to 
the  square  inch. 

T*-  him  all  phenomena  and  conditions  seem  to  have  been  a 
challenge,  and  he  applied  his  power;  to  the  solution  of  any 
problem  presented.  In  London  he  was  known  as  the  **American 
Inventor,"  and  was  accorded  much  distinction. 

Another  industry  inaugurated  by  Newburyport  capital  was 
located  at  the  falls  in  Byfield.  This  was  the  Newburyport 
Woolen  Company,  established  in  1 794,  the  first  company  in- 
corporated for  that  business  in  the  state,  and  by  some  authorities 
named  as  the  first  woolen  manufactory  in  America.  The  card- 
ing and  other  machines  for  its  equipment  were  built  by  Stand- 
ring,  Guppy,  &  Armstrong,  in  Newburyport,  being  set  up  in 
"Lord"  Timothy  Dexter' s  stable;  and  were  the  first  made 
in  this  country. 

At  Newbury  a  hilling  mill  had  been  in  operation  since  1 687, 
when  it  was  established  by  Peter  Cherey,  who  sold  it  to  John 
Pearson,  by  whose  descendants  it  was  operated  as  a  fulling  mill 
and  blanket  factory  until  destroyed  by  fire.  It  was  succcec'ed 
by  the  present  mill,  established  by  the  Pearsons,  who  are  n.ost 
prominently  identified  with  this  industry. 

At  Byfield,  also,  machinery  for  making  wooden  shoe- pegs 
was  invented  by  Paul  Pillsbury.  This  article  completely  revolu- 
tionized the  manufacture. 

Other  industries  that  at  the  beginning  ot  this  century  contributed 
largely  to  Newburyport's  prosperity,  were: — cordage-making, 
employing  fifty  hands;  boot  and  shoe  making  (Newbury  and 
Newburyport  together),  employing  upwards  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  hands,  these  being  scattered  in  the  little  shops  that  dotted 
the  country  in  that  day;  comb-making,  the  product  of  which  was 
nearly  ^200,000,  annuaUy;  tobacco-manufacture,  in  the  form  of 


^fjr  Colonial  l$ooli 

snuffs  and  cigars;  tanning;  morocco-dressing;  wool-pulling; 
carriage-building;  and  not  least  of  all,  distilling.  Rum  was  a 
very  important  commodity,  freely  drunk  by  high  and  low;  and 
tew  advertisements  of  merchandise  were  seen  without  the 
announcement  of  a  choice  hogshead  of  rum,  generally  in  large 
type  at  the  head  of  the  list. 

At  the  close  of  the  last  century  there  were  ten  distilleries  in 
active  operation  here,  contributing  to  the  reputation  of  New 
England  rum. 

Another  notable  feature  was  Newburyport's  importance  as  a 
publishing  centre,  and  the  extent  of  its  retail  book-trade. 

The  first  newspaper  here  was  established  in  1 773,  by  Isaiah 
Thomas  and  Henry  W.  Tinges,  who,  on  December  4  of  that 
year,  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Essex  Journal  and  New 
Hampshire  Packet. 

Only  a  few  of  the  books  published  here  can  be  alluded  to,  but 
some  of  these  were  of  much  importance. 

The  first  system  of  Arithmetic  pt:blished  in  this  country  was 
the  work  of  Nicholas  Pike,  a  Newburyport  school-master,  and 
was  published  here  in  1 787.  This  was  a  very  comprehensive 
work,  and  was  an  authority  for  many  years. 

Blunt's  famous  **Coast  Pilot"  and  other  nautical  works  were 
published  here  by  Blunt  &  March,  who  also  issued  many  other 
volumes,  including  medical  works.  Bibles,  Testaments,  hymn 
books,  and  other  religious  works,  such  as  *'Christ's  Famous 
Titles  and  Believer's  Golden  Chain,  together  with  Cabinet  of 
Jewels.** 

Other  works  were:  Quarles*  **  Emblems  and  Hieroglyphics 
of  the  Life  of  Man,**  1799,  with  copperplate  engravings;  *'The 
Life  of  Nelson;'*  "The  Life  of  Paul  Jones;**  «'The  Poetical 
Works   of  Peter   Pindar,  a  Distant   Relation  of  the  Poet   of 


^ 


r 


Thebes;"  the  **Idler,"  in  two  volumes;  and  Volume  II  of 
**  Letters  Written  by  the  late  Right  Honorable  Philip  Dorman 
Stanhope,  Earl  of  Chesterfield,"  Volume  I  of  which  was  pub- 
lished at  Boston. 

The  publishers  of  these  were  Angier  March,  successor  to 
Blunt  &  March,  Thomas  &  Whipple,  and  John  Mycall. 

An  evidence  of  the  magnitude  of  this  business  is  the  extensive 
advertising  of  books  in  the  local  papers  of  that  time,  and  the  fact 
that  one  of  the  stores  burned  in  the  great  fire  of  l8ll,  con- 
tained a  stock  of  ^30,000  worth  of  books. 

Newburyport  is,  or  has  been,  more  or  less  identified  with  some 
of  the  most  prominent  educational  institutions  of  the  present,  first 
among  which  is  Harvard  College.  The  town  of  Newbury  con- 
tributed to  the  support  of  this  institution  in  its  earliest  years,  and 
had  the  honor  of  claiming  its  first  graduate,  Benjamin  Woodbridge 
of  this  town  being  placed  at  the  head  of  the  class  of  nine  who 
completed  the  course  in  1642. 

Position  in  the  class  was  determined  by  the  standing  or  rank 
of  the  families  of  members,  a  method  in  keeping  with  the  rigid 
social  distinctions  of  those  days. 

Newburyport  furnished  seven  professors  to  Harvard  College, 
including  Samuel  Webber  who  was  made  president  in  i  806, 
and  Cornelius  Conway  Felton,  who  was  similarly  honored  in 
1 860.  Other  college  presidents  born  here  were  Samuel  C. 
Bartlett  of  Dartmouth,  Leonard  Woods  of  Bowdoin,  and  Ben- 
jamin Hale  of  Hobart. 

Dummer  Academy,  Newbury,  was  founded  by  Governor 
Dummer  in  1761,  and  was  the  first  institution  of  its  kind  in 
operation  in  America.  It  has  had  a  notable  hisrory,  and  is  still 
in  a  flourishing  condition. 


TS^'bt  Colonial  ISoolt 


EMINENT  MEN  OF  EARLY  TIMES  RESIDENT 
HERE,  NOT  ELSEWHERE  MENTIONED. 

Chief  Justice  Samuel  Sewall,  the  subject  of  Whittier's  poem 
of  which  the  quotation  on  the  first  page  of  this  book  is  the  be- 
ginning, was  born  in  1652,  and  was  one  of  the  most  learned 
and  respected  men  of  his  time.  He  married  Hannah  Hull, 
daughter  of  John  Hull,  master  of  the  Massachusetts  Mint,  re- 
ferred to  on  another  page  as  the  first  silversmith  in  Boston,  who 
presented  the  bride  with  a  dowry  equal  to  her  weight,  in  silver 
sixpences. 

Theophilus  Bradbury,  a  jurist  of  distinaion  and  member  of 
Congress  under  Washington's  administration,  was  born  here  in 
1739.  He  was  also  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Charles  Jackson,  a  son  of  Jonathan  Jackson,  was  born  in  1 775, 
and  became  an  eminent  lawyer  and  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Massachusetts. 

^  Patrick  Tracy  Jackson,  born  in  Newburyport  in  1780. 
Merchant  and  originator,  with  his  brother-in-law,  Francis  C. 
Lowell,  of  cotton-cloth  manufacture  in  America.  They  invented 
machinery,  and  established  a  mill  at  Waltham  which  was  in 
successful  operation  many  years,  and  was  said  to  be  the  first 
manufactory  in  the  world  to  combine  cotton  spinning  and  weav- 
ing, under  one  roof.  Later,  Mr.  Jackson  purchased  the  entire 
site  and  water  privilege  of  the  present  city  of  Lowell,  which  he 
founded,  and  named  in  honor  of  his  brother-in-law  and  former 
partner,  then  dead.  In  1830,  Mr.  Jackson,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Bjot,  conceived  the  project  of  constructing  a  railroad  in 
New  England,  and,  overcoming  great  obstacles,  completed  it  in 
1835.  This  was  the  Boston  &  Lowell  Railroad,  now  a  part 
of  the  Boston  &  Miine  system. 

Charles  Toppan,  the  first  president  of  the  American  Bank  Note 
Company,  was  born  in  1 796,  and  studied  engraving  in  Phila- 
delphia. He  was  later  associated  with  Jacob  Perkins,  with  whom 
he  went  to  England  to  introduce  improvements  in  bank-note 
engraving.  In  1858,  he  organized  the  American  Bank  Note 
Company  of  New  York,  with  branches  in  Boston,  Philadelphia, 
Cincinnati,  New  Orleans,  and  Montreal. 

Jacob  Little,  son  of  a  prosperous  merchant  of  Newburyport, 
was  born  in  1797,  and  at  an  early  age  entered  the  employ  of 


'MM 


'«^^rW*»K..)«^.^,^^^^^ 


a  prominent  merchant  of  New  York.  He  afterward  became  a 
member  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange,  and  was  the 
acknowledged  head  of  the  financial  world  of  that  city. 

William  Wheelwright,  one  of  Newbury  port's  greatest  bene- 
factors, was  born  in  1798.  He  was  a  ship-master,  and  was 
cast  away  on  the  coast  of  Brazil  in  1 8 23;  which  led  him  to 
settle  and  engage  in  business  in  South  America,  in  the  develop- 
ment of  which  he  became  a  prominent  factor.  He  established 
steamship  lines  and  built  the  first  railroads  on  that  continent, 
overcoming  tremendous  natural  obstacles,  and  finally  accumu- 
lating great  wealth.  His  statue  in  bronze  stands  in  the  public 
square  of  Valparaiso,  the  gift  of  the  people,  in  recognition  ot 
his  achievements. 

He  always  retained  his  attachment  for  and  interest  in  his  native 
town,  and  in  his  will  provided  for  the  establishment  of  a  scientific 
school  here,  when  the  fund,  which  now  amounts  to  ^400,000, 
should  be  sufficient.  A  part  of  the  income  of  this  sum  is  now 
used  to  defray  the  expenses  of  a  scientific  education  for  such 
graduates  of  the  High  School  as  desire  it,  some  being  maintained 
in  Europe  for  this  purpose. 

Caleb  Gushing,  the  eminent  lawyer  and  statesman,  was  bom  in 
Salisbury  in  the  year  1800,  but  came  to  Newburyport  with 
his  parents  at  the  age  of  two  years.  He  was  educated  for  the 
bar,  and  early  achieved  distinction  in  his  profession.  He  was 
minister  to  China  and  to  Spain,  and  represented  this  country  at 
the  Geneva  tribunal. 

He  was  also  commissioned  brigadier  general  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  held  many  other  important  offices. 

Others  whom  Newburyport  has  been  proud  to  call  her  sons 
by  birth  or  adoption  are: — 

Right  Reverend  Thomas  M.  Clarke,  Bishop  of  Rhode 
Island,  born  here  in  1 81 2. 


€^t)e  Colonial  l$ooi^ 

Benjamin  Perley  Poore,  journalist  and  author,  bom  at  Indian 
HiU  Farm,  Newbury,  the  home  of  his  ancestors  for  many 
generations,  in  1820. 

General  A.  W.  Greeley,  of  the  United  States  Army,  com- 
mander of  the  Arctic  Expedition  bearing  his  name.  He  was 
born  in  1844. 

Mr.  Wilham  C.  Todd,  founder  of  the  Free  Reading  Room 
of  this  city,  and  lately  donor  of  $50,000  to  maintain  a  free 
newspaper  reading  room  in  the  Boston  Public  Library.  Mr. 
Todd  was  born  in  Atkinson,  N.  H.,  in  1823;  and  was  for 
many  years  principal  of  the  Female  High  School  of  this  city. 

Josiah  Little,  founder  of  the  Public  Library. 

Michael  Simpson,  by  whose  liberality  the  Public  Library 
building  was  greatly  enlarged  and  improved. 

George  Peabody,  the  famous  London  banker,  whose  benefac. 
tions  amounted  to  millions  of  dollars.  Mr.  Peabody  received 
his  early  business  training  here  in  the  employ  of  his  brother,  but 
was  obliged  to  leave  Newburyport  after  the  great  fire  of  1 8 1 1 . 
He  endowed  the  Newburyport  Public  Library  with  a  fund  of 
$15,000. 

NOTES. 

The  quaint  old  sign  of  the  Wolfe  Tavern,  pictured  at  the 
end  of  this  book,  is  a  pleasing  reminder  of  the  ancient  institution 
of  that  hostelry,  as  well  as  a  token  of  early  patriotism  and 
tribute  to  miUtary  greatness. 

Captain  William  Davenport  brought  back  from  the  plains  of 
Abraham    enthusiastic    appreciation    of    his    late    commander. 
General  Wolfe,  who  fell  a  sacrifice  to  bravery  in  the  hour  of 
his  hard-earned  victory.      When,  therefore,  in   1762,  Captain 
Davenport  transformed  his  dwelling  near  the  lower  end  of  Fish 
(now  State)  Street  to  a  '•avern,  he  dedicated  it  to  his 
lamented  leader,  and   placed  in  front  a  swinging  sign, 
elaborately  carved,  with  a  portrait  of  General  Wolfe, 
surrounded    by  a   wreath    entwined  with  scrolls,  the 
whole  appropriately  painted  and  gilded.     This  highly 


0y;.    ■.'^TAt%j^-'-rouROROxiri6 

;:•     OONT  I; »Wt' UNLESS  FiREO  VPON 
-BUT  If  THEY   MjEAN  t6   HAVE  A  WAR 
Lf,T  ^t'8EG)N  here 


^"bt  Colonial  iSoolt 

decorative  emblem  was  freely  threatened  with  destruction,  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War,  when  only  the  hatred  of  all  things 
British  was  thought  of,  and  former  pride  in  the  achievements  of 
Wolfe  forgotten.  While  all  other  reminders  of  royalty  were 
destroyed,  and  notwithstanding  the  declaration  of  a  local  news- 
paper, that  it  was  an  "insult  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  truly 
republican  town,"  it  remained  in  place  until  destroyed  by  the 
great  fire  of  1 8 1 1 .  The  present  sign  was  erected  in  1 8 1 4, 
when  the  tavern  was  removed   to  its  present  location. 

Before  the  introduction  of  railroads,  the  Wolfe  Tavern  was 
the  property,  and  a  station,  of  the  Eastern  Stage  Company, 
which  ran  daily  trips,  with  relays  of  horses,  to  Boston  and 
Portsmouth;  and  the  arrival  and  departure  of  the  stages,  which,  it 
may  be  noted,  were  all  built  in  Newburyport,  were  events  of 
considerable  importance,  and  attended  with  consequent  excite- 
ment. The  Eastern  Stage  Company  was  the  forerunner  of  the 
Eastern  Railroad  Company,  which  road  is  now  operated  by  the 
Boston  &  Maine  Railroad  Company. 

The  brick  building  on  the  corner  of  State  and  Harris  Streets, 
which  was  the  nucleus  of  the  present  hotel  building,  was  first 
occupied  as  a  residence  by  Colonel  John  Peabody,  uncle  of 
George  Peabody,  and  then  a  merchant  in  this  town. 

Two  Newburyport  men,  members  of  Captain  Richard  Tit- 
comb's  company,  were  of  the  number  that  conveyed  Benedict 
Arnold  to  the  British  ship  Vulture,  in  September,  1780,  and 
scorned  his  offer  of  promotion,  if  they  would  follow  him  in  his 
then  announced  desertion  from  the  American  to  the  English 
forces. 

One  of  the  ancient  insdtutions  of  Newburyport  is  the  ofEce 
of  town-crier.  It  is  now  neither  appointive  nor  elective,  the 
present  incumbent  having,  years  ago,  succeeded  to  it,  and  con- 


^"^'^^^^^^^^-.....^ 


tinued  without  opposition.  In  early  times  he  commanded  atten- 
tion withi  a  drum,  and  one  of  his  duties  was  to  escort  petty 
culprits  through  the  principal  streets,  calling  attention  to  their 
offences,  which  they  also  were  sometimes  required  to  proclaim. 
The  business  of  the  present  picturesque  exemplar  is,  however, 
mostly  confined  to  announcements  of  excursions  or  entertain- 
ments, varied  with  the  promotion  of  retail  trade,  and  his,  "Hear 
what  I  have  to  say!"  is  preceded  by  the  clang  of  a  large  hand- 
bell. It  is  doubtful  if  this  functionary  survives  anywhere  else  in 
the  United  States. 

The  Curfew  Bell,  which  has  recently  given  its  name  to  a 
movement  to  compel  the  retiring  of  young  people  from  the  streets 
at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  has,  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
interval  in  the  last  decade,  been  rung  here  rightly  for  one 
hundred  and  ninety-two  years,  and  it  is  indeed  a  curfew,  or 
signal  for  retiring,  for  many  people. 

The  first  vessel  to  display  the  American  flag  on  the  river 
Thames,  was  the  Count  de  Grasse,  Captain  Nicholas  Johnson, 
of  this  port. 

A  Newburyport  ship,  the  Indus,  was  also  the  first  to  sail  from 
this  country  to  Calcutta,  after  the  war  of  1812,  and  made  the 
return  trip  before  news  of  her  arrival  had  otherwise  reached 
here. 

A  few  months  later  in  the  same  year,  another  vessel,  the 
Dryad,  sailed  from  here  to  carry  to  Calcutta  the  first  five 
missionaries  of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  an 
organization  established  here  by  a  Newburyport  and  a  Salem 
clergyman,  but  which  has  long  since  outgrown  its  early  home 
and  removed  to  broader  fields. 

The  history  of  ship-building  at  this  port,  includes  many  items 
of  general  interest.      While  it  is  impossible,  through  imperfect 


^t)(  Colonial  1$oolt 

Tegistration,  to  ascertain  the  exact  number  of  vessels  built  on 
the  Merrimac,  it  is  probable  that,  from  first  to  last,  the  number 
would  be  upwards  of  two  thousand. 

The  water-line  model  which  enabled  a  designer  to  more 
easily  and  accurately  ascertain  the  lines  and  sections  of  his 
creation,  was  invented  here  by  a  prominent  ship-builder, 
Orlando  Merrill,  in  1 794.  The  original  model  of  this  in- 
vention is  now  preserved  in  the  rooms  of  the  New  York  His- 
torical Society. 

In  1853  the  celebrated  clipper  ship  Dreadnaught  was  built 
here,  a  vessel  whose  remarkable  records  of  crossing  the  Atlantic 
in  a  little  more  than  thirteen  days,  were  nearly  equal  to  those  of 
the  first  steamships, 

Newburyport  closed  the  record  of  ship-building  in  Massa- 
chusetts, with  the  launching,  in  1882,  of  the  Mary  L.  Gushing, 
the  last  vessel  of  that  class  built  in  this  state. 

Although  the  various  societies  of  Daughters  of  the  Revolution 
are  of  comparatively  recent  formation,  the  spirit  which  they  rep- 
resent was  manifest  in  Newburyport  as  early  as  1 796,  as  shown 
from  the  following  from  the  Impartial  Herald  of  that  year. 

Newburyport,  February  26,  1 796.  Female  patriotism.  A 
number  of  ladies  belonging  to  this  town  met  on  Monday,  in  honor 
of  the  day  that  gave  birth  to  the  man  ''who  unites  all  hearts," 
and  dedicated  a  few  glasses  to  the  following  truly  sentimental 
and  highly  republican  toasts. 
I.    May  our  beloved  President  preside  at  the  helm  of  government 

longer  than  we  shall  have  time  to  tell  his  years. 

Mrs.  Washington,  respected  consort  of  our  illustrious  chief. 

May  the  fair  patriots  of  America  never  fail  to  assert  their 

independence,  which  nature  equally  dispenses. 

Maria  Charlotte  Corday.     May  each  Columbian  daughter, 

like  her,  be  ready  to  sacrifice  their  hfe  to  hberty. 

The  day  that  saw  the  wondrous  hero  rise  shall,  more  than 

all  our  sacred  days,  be  blessed. 


WHILE  the  purpose  of  this  book  is  to  give,  in  connection 
with  Colonial  silverware,  an  outline  of  the  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  history  of  Newburyport,  it  is  also  designed 
to  note  briefly  some  of  the  chief  points  of  interest  in  neighboring 
cities  and  towns.  This  reference  to  its  main  object  is  made 
that  any  seeming  lack  of  proportion  between  the  representation 
of  a  place  and  its  known  importance  may  be  understood,  and  the 
random  character  of  the  selections  accounted  for. 

Salem  is  particularly  rich  in  points  of  interest  around  which 
history  or  tradition  has  left  its  charm  of  romance  or  pall  of  tragedy. 
It  was  here  that  occurred  the  first  armed  resistance  of  the 
Revolution,  when,  on  the  26th  of  February,  1775,  the  march 
of  three  hundred  British  troops  sent  by  General  Gage  to  seize 
munitions  of  war  was  arrested.  From  here  came  Colonel  Tim- 
othy Pickering,  one  of  Washington's  most  trusted  advisers,  and 
to  whom  was  given  successively  every  office  in  his  cabinet,  when 
the  latter  became  president. 

In  addition  to  its  wealth  of  history  and  the  memories  of  its 
once  famous  commerce,  its  heroes  of  war  and  statecraft,  and  its 
merchant  princes,  Salem  is  remembered  and  particularly  visited 
as  the  home  of  Hawthorne  and  the  scene  of  several  of  his  romances. 
His  birthplace,  the  home  of  his  youth,  the  ** House  of  Seven 
Gables,"  the  "Grimshaw  House,"  and  Custom  House,  as  well 


Wfft  €oloniM  l$ook 

as  the  many  other  houses  and  haunts  munortalized  in  his  writings, 
bring  to  the  thoughtful  visitor  a  vivid  sense  of  personal  acquaintance, 
not  to  be  gained  alone  by  the  reading  of  his  works.  Other  cities 
have  historic  associations  and  fine  old  architecture,  have  had  even 
the  w^itches  —  of  painfij  memory  —  but  only  Salem  can  show 
these  originals  of  storied  scenes. 

THOUGH  small  in  point  of  population,  Marblehead  has 
strongly  marked  characteristics,  and  has  played  a  very 
important  part  in  the  history  of  our  country.  Like  the 
other  seaport  towns  of  northern  Massachusetts,  it  furnished  many 
men  for  the  navy  of  the  Revolution,  and  none  were  braver  or 
hardier  than  the  sons  of  this  rocky  and  picturesque  hamlet. 
Chief  among  these  was  Captain  Mugford,  to  whose  memory 
and  that  of  his  crew  a  memorial  has  been  erected.  He  captured, 
off  Boston  harbor,  in  May,  1776,  a  British  ship,  laden  with 
military  supplies;  but,  after  sending  this  safely  to  port,  was  the 
same  day  killed,  while  defending  his  ship  against  an  attack  of 
the  enemy. 

Here  lived  Agnes  Surriage,  beloved  of  Sir  Henry  Frankland, 
and  here  also  is  the  scene  of  Whittier's  poem  of  «*  Skipper  Ire- 
son's  Ride,"  though  the  story  is  doubdess  largely  imaginary. 

The  old  town  is  said  to  have  been  a  resort  of  pirates  and  buc- 
caneers from  the  Spanish  Main,  but  it  is  pleasanter  to  contemplate 
its  visitors  of  to-day,  the  magnificent  yachts 
that  rendezvous  here  from  the  coast 


^52 


-^..4.*,;^^iN;c**  • 


ACROSS  the  harbor  from  Marblehead  is  Beverly,  the  two 
arranged  like  sentinels,  guarding  the  approach  to  Salem, 
which  is  further  inland.  Marblehead  and  Beverly  divide 
other  honors,  for  the  regiment  commanded  by  Colonel  Glover 
was  recruited  from  both  places,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the 
Revolution.  It  was  at  one  time  stationed  at  Beverly,  to  cover 
the  movements  of  British  men-of-war  lying  in  the  outer  harbor. 
This  regiment  was  frequently  selected  by  Washington  for  enter- 
prises requiring  great  courage  and  skill,  as  instanced  by  its  respon- 
sible part  in  the  evacuation  of  New  York  by  the  American  army 
in  1776.  Its  most  notable  achievement,  however,  was  the 
memorable  passage  of  the  Delaware,  when,  01:  the  night  of 
Christmas,  1776,  Washington's  army  was  enabled,  under  the 
skillful  guidance  of  these  men  of  Marblehead  and  Beverly,  to 
cross  in  safety  the  stormy  and  ice-filled  river,  and  capture  at 
Trenton  a  large  part  of  the  British  army. 

Beverly  was  bombarded  by  the  British  ship  Nautilus,  but 
suffered  no  great  damage.  In  return,  her  privateers,  which  were 
early  commissioned,  brought  in  many  valuable  prizes  and  materi- 
ally aided  the  American  cause. 

AT  the  time  of  the  Revolution  and  for  the  first  half  of  this 
century,  the  whole  of  Cape  Ann  was  known  as  Glouces- 
ter,   Since  that  time  the  towns  of  Rockport  and  Annisquam 
have  been  set  off,  thus  reducing  the  territory  of  Gloucester. 

Fishing,  in  which  it  is  now  supreme,  has  always  been  its  lead- 
ing industry,  and  the  "Captains  Courageous"  of  Kipling  were  no 
less  so  when  courage  meant  the  braving  of  hostile  guns  as  well  as 
tempest  and  rocky  shores. 


It'bt  €oloni^l  1$oolt 


A  Newburyport  privateer,  the  Yankee  Hero,  reinforced  by 
Gloucester  sailors,  was  captured,  off"  the  Cape,  by  a  British  tnan- 
of-\var,  disguised  as  a  merchantman,  after  a  hard  fought  battle. 
Among  the  noted  patriots  of  those  days.  Captain  Harraden  of 
Gloucester  was  a  famous  and  successful  fighter  who  did  great 
service  for  his  country. 

On  the  southerly  side  of  the  entrance  to  Gloucester  harbor, 
lies  the  reef  of  Norman's  Woe — remembered  in  Longfellow's 
**Wreck  of  the  Hesperus" — the  ceaseless  peal  of  the  floating 
bell  warning  the  mariner  of  its  menacing  presence,  as  when,  on 
that  fatal  night  of  old,  the  skipper's  daughter  cried: — 

"O  father!  I  hear  the  church-bells  ring, 
O  say,  what  may  it  be?" 

ONE  of  the  most  interesting  of  neighboring  cities  is  Ports- 
mouth.     From  the  earliest  time  it  has  been  fortified,  and 
later  its  fine  deep  harbor  led  to  the  establishment  of  the 
Navy  Yard  and  attendant  government  institutions. 

All  the  prevalent  sentiments  of  liberty  and  independence  noted 
in  accounts  of  other  places  were  characteristic  of  Portsmouth, 
though  the  town  had  probably  a  greater  nimiber  of  prominent 
loyalists  than  any  other,  save  Boston.  They  were  roughly  handled 
by  the  patriots,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  open  hostilities  were  obliged 
to  seek  safety  elsewhere. 

One  of  the  first  decisive  acts  of  the  Revolution,  if  not  the  first, 
was  successfully  consummated  here,  on  the  night  of  December 
14,  1774,  four  months  before  the  battle  of  Lexington. 

On  that  night,  a  party  of  men,  anticipating  the  garrisoning  of 
Fort  William  and  Mary,  at  Newcastle,  by  the  forces  of  the  king, 
descended  on  the  fort,  surprising  and  overpowering  the  sentinel 
and  commandant,  forced  its  surrender,  and  removed  to  Portsmouth 
upwards  of  one  hundred  barrels  of  gunpowder  and  fifteen  of  the 
lightest  cannon.  The  munitions  were  effectively  used  in  the  Rev- 
olution, a  large  part  of  the  gunpowder  being  sent  to  Cambridge. 
Portsmouth  was  markedly  aristocratic 
in  early  times,  and  the  elegant  Colonial 
mansions  that  still  adorn  its  streets  are 
reminders  of  the  days  of  affluence, 
when,  like  Newburyport  and  Salem, 
it  gloried  in  a  large  foreign  trade  or 
hoarded  the  gains  of  privateering. 


IE 


Wf^t  Colonial  1$oo1^ 


HAVERHILL,  which  is  to-day  a  populous  and  busy  city, 
lacked  the  advantages  of  the  coast  towns,  and  although 
settled  in  1640,  did  not  reach  its  present  development 
until  the  era  of  manufacturing  had  superseded  that  of  commerce. 
It  was,  however,  notably  active  in  the  events  leading  up  to  the 
Revolution,  and  fiirnished,  both  promptly  and  willingly,  its  full 
quota  of  men  and  funds  for  that  war. 

In  earlier  times,  Haverhill  suffered  severely  from  Indian  attacks, 
its  inland  situation  rendering  it  particularly  liable  to  this  danger. 
The  most  famous  of  these  took  place  on  the  fifteenth  of  March, 
1697,  when  thirty-nine  persons  were  killed  or  captured,  and  a 
number  of  houses  burned.  Among  those  taken  prisoners  were, 
Hannah  Duston — whose  husband,  Thomas  Duston,  fought  his 
way  to  safety,  with  seven  of  their  eight  children — and  Mary 
NefF,  her  nurse.  After  traveling  some  days  and  suffering  many 
hardships,  they  were  brought  to  an  island  in  the  Merrimac, 
situated  a  few  miles  above  what  is  now  Concord.  Early  on  the 
morning  of  April  30,  while  the  savages  all  slept,  Mrs.  Duston 
aroused  her  nurse  and  an  English  youth  who  had  been  longer  a 
prisoner,  and,  arming  themselves  with  tomahawks,  they  killed 
their  captors,  to  the  number  of  ten,  a  squaw  and  youth  escaping. 
After  scuttling  all  the  canoes  but  one,  they  provisioned  that  and 
started  back  to  Haverhill,  but,  before  going  far,  decided  to  return 
and  scalp  the  Indians,  as  evidence  of  their  deed;  this  they  did, 
finally  reaching  home  in  safety.  One  of  the  features  of  Haverhill 
is  the  Hannah  Duston  monument  commemorating  this  event. 

A  FEW  miles  from  Newburyport,  in  the  town  of  Amesbury, 
is  the  home  of  Whittier's  later  years,  and  from  there,  in 
1892,  he  was  buried,  the  simple  service  attended  by  a 
gathering  of  genius  such  as  few  occasions  could  attract. 

An  interesting  reminder    of  Whittier,   in  Amesbury,   is    the 
•'  Captain's  Well,"  the  subject  of  his  poem  of  that  name. 
It  was  constructed  by  Captain  Bagley,  in  or  about  1794. 

"  I  will  dig  a  well  for  the  passers-by, 
And  none  shall  suffer  from  thirst,  as  I." 

S  active  revolution  had  its  beginning  in  the  battles  of  Con- 
cord and  Lexington,  battles  which  filled  the  roads  from 
far  and  near  with  hurrying  minute-men,  pressing 


A 


^"bt  iHTolontal  i$oolt 


eagerly  to  the  aid  of  their  heroic  compatriots,  we  have  included 
illustrations  of  a  few  of  the  many  historic  buildings  and  commem- 
orative monuments  identified  with  this  uprising,  with  which  these 
towns  abound. 

All  the  towns  here  written  of,  and  many  others,  share  in  a 
degree,    with    Concord    and    Lexington,    the   glory    of    these 
monuments;  for,  while  only  those  favored  by  proximity  arrived 
in  time  to  take  part  in  the  fighting,   all  responded  imme- 


SOME  PLACES  OF  HISTORIC  INTEREST  IN 
NEWBURYPORT  AND  VICINITY  WHICH 
MAY    BE    REACHED     BY    ELECTRIC    CARS. 

Newburvport  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mer- 
RiMAC  River,  which  joins  the  Atlantic  on  the  north 
SHORE  OF  Massachusetts  Bay,  thirty-seven  miles  from 
Boston,  and  is  reached  by  two  divisions  of  the  Boston 
AND  Maine  Railroad,  from  the  Northern  Union  Station, 
Causeway   Street,    Boston. 

Parker  river,  named  for  Rev.  Thomas  Parker,  one  of  the  first 
settlers  who  landed  on  its  north  shore  in  1635.  About  four  miles 
from  railroad  station. 


Ittt  Colonial  l$oo1k 


The  picturesque  Spencer- Pierce  house,  also  called  the 
•'Garrison  House,"  built  by  Daniel  Pierce  about  1670,  on  a 
farm  of  four  hundred  acres  laid  out  to  John  Spencer  in  1635. 

"Trayneing  Green,"  laid  out  in  1 642.  Scene  ot  the  en- 
campment of  Quebec  expedition  under  Benedict  Arnold, 
September,  1775,  and  location  of  a  boulder  and  bronze  tablet 
commemorating  the  event. 

The  Noyes  house  on  Parker  Street,  built  about  the  year  164.6 
by  Rev.  James  Noyes  associate  pastor  with  Rev.  Thomas 
Parker.  Near  by  is  the  old  elm  of  Newbury,  a  tree  of  romantic 
origin,  and  the  subject  of  a  poem  by  Hannah  Flagg  Gould. 

The  CofEn  house.  High  Street,  occupied  by  Tristram  Coffin, 
in  1653,  and  afterwards  the  residence  of  Joshua  Coffin,  the 
historian  of  Newbury,  also  remembered  as  Whittier's  "Village 
Schoolmaster."  Still  occupied  by  descendants  of  the  original 
owner. 

The  lUsley  house.  High  Street,  near  head  of  Marlborough 
Street,  built  in  1670,  and  at  one  time  a  tavern.  Nearby,  from 
1653  to  1755,  was  the  Blue  Anchor  Tavern,  the  most  important 
of  early  inns. 

House  No.  65  High  Street,  owned  and  occupied  by  Caleb 
Cushing  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

First  Presbyterian  meeting  house.  Federal  Street,  erected  in 
1756  and  rebuilt  in  1856.  Here  Rev.  George  Whitefield,  the 
great  evangelist,  preached  and  was  buried,  in  a  vault  under  the 
pulpit. 

Nos.  3  and  5  School  Street,  the  house  where  Wilfda:  Uoyd 
Garrison  was  bom. 

Nos.  9  and  1 1  School  Street,  the  house  where  Rev.  George 
Whitefield  died. 

Bomb-shell,  on  a  stone  post  at  the  comer  of  Middle  and  Inde- 
pendence Streets.  Brought  from  Louisburgby  Nathaniel  Knapp, 
after  the  capture  of  that  fortress,  in  1758. 

Market  Square.  On  the  southeasterly  side  stood  the  house 
owned  by  William  Morse,  whose  wife.  Goody  Morse,  was,  in 
1679,  convicted  of  witchcraft  and  sentenced  to  deathj  but,  the 
people  becoming  more  enlightened,  the  sentence  was  not  executed. 


tsr:!^'^^. 


trte  Colonial  i$oolt 


This  was  probably  the  first  case  of  trial  and  conviction  for  witch- 
craft in  Massachusetts. 

Rooms  of  Newburyport  Marine  Society,  State  Street,  organ- 
ized in  1772;  containing  curiosities  gathered  by  members. 
Open  to  visitors  from  10  to  i  2  a.  m.,  2  to  4  p.  m. 

No.  2 1  Charter  Street,  for  many  years  the  residence  of  Hannah 
Flagg  Gould,    author  of  several  volumes  of  prose  and  poetry. 

Public  Library  building,  erected  in  l  7  7 1  by  Patrick  Tracy,  a 
prominent  merchant,  as  a  residence  for  his  son,  Nathaniel  Tracy, 
also  a  merchant  and  ship  owner  who  attained  wide  prominence 
by  reason  of  the  magnitude  of  his  operations  and  the  magnificence 
of  his  living.  Washington  occupied  apartments  in  this  house 
in  1789,  and  Lafayette  was  entertained  here  in  1824.  In 
1 865  the  building  was  purchased  and  adapted  for  the  present  use, 
and  was  added  to  in  1882,  by  the  generosity  of  Michael  Simpson. 
On  the  first  floor  are:  a  free  reading  room,  maintained  for  many 
years  through  the  liberality  of  William  C.  Todd,  Esq.,  and  the 
rooms  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Old  Newbury,  where  visitors 
may  inspect  objects  of  historic  interest.  Some  of  the  rooms  on 
this  floor  retain  their  original  character. 

Dalton  house.  No  95  State  Street,  built  in  1750,  and  occu- 
pied by  Tristriam  Dalton,  the  first  senator  to  congress  from 
Massachusetts.  Was  later  occupied  by  Moses  Brown,  a  wealthy 
merchant.      Now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  Dalton  Club. 

Frog  Pond  and  Bardett  Mall,  now  included  in  Washington 
Park,  were  first  improved  in  1 800,  through  the  exertions  and 
liberahty  of  Captain  Edmund  Bartlett. 

The  Court  House  stands  on  this  Mall,  and  nearly  opposite  is 
the  Putnam  Free  School  building,  one  of  the  earliest  and  most 
liberal  institutions  of  its  kind.  At  the  easteriy  end  of  the  Park 
is  a  statue  of  Washington  by  J.  Q.  A.  Ward,  presented  to  the 
city  by  Daniel  L  Tenney. 

House  No.  34  Green  Street,  built  in  1879  by  Hon.  Theo- 
philus  Parsons,  an  eminent  jurist,  with  whom  John  Quincy 
Adams  and  Robert  Treat  Paine  studied  law,  and  occupied  by 
hun  until  1 800. 


Brown  Square,  given  to  the  city  by  Moses  Brown  in  1802. 
The  statue  of  William  Lloyd  Garrison  was  presented  to  the 
city  by  William  H.  Swasey,  Esq.,  and  is  by  David  M.  French 
of  Newburyport. 

Meeting  house  of  the  First  Religious  Society,  Pleasant  Street, 
built  in  1800.  A  fine  example  of  early  architecture,  with 
characteristic  interior. 

High  Street,  St.  Paul's  Church.  The  first  building  was 
erected  here  in  1738,  and  was  taken  down  in  the  year  1 800,  to 
make  room  for  the  present  edifice.  Right  Rev.  Edward  Bass, 
D.D.,  was  at  that  time  rector  of  the  church,  and  was  the  first 
bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island.  It  has 
many  interesting  architectural  features,  and  also  a  bell  made  by 
Paul  Revere. 

Dexter  house.  No.  201  High  Street,  built  by  Jonathan  Jack- 
son in  1772,  and  later  purchased  and  occupied  by  **Lord" 
Timothy  Dexter,  a  wealthy  and  eccentric  character,  by  whom 
it  was  adorned  with  many  wooden  statues,  since  removed.  It 
was  purchased  in  1 874  by  Mr.  George  H.  Corhss,  the  renowned 
engine  builder,  and  occupied  by  his  family  until  recently. 

Lowell-Johnson  house.  No.  203  High  Street,  built  about  1774 
by  John  Lowell,  son  of  Rev.  John  Lowell,  who  was  afterwards 
judge  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court.  He  was  the  father  of 
Francis  Cabot  Lowell,  for  whom  the  city  of  Lowell  was  named, 
grandfather  of  the  founder  of  the  Lowell  Institute  of  Boston,  and 
also  grandfather  of  James  Russell  Lowell.  The  house  was  later 
occupied  by  John  Tracy,  son  of  Patrick  Tracy,  and  he  entertained 
here,  in  1782,  the  Marquis  de  Castellux,  Baron  Talleyrand, 
and  other  officers  of  the  French  army. 

House  No.  244  High  Street,  frequently  the  home  of  John  G. 
Whittier  during  the  last  years  of  his  life. 


Mfil.ye^'^-^:. 


The  Toppan  house,  No.  lo  Toppan  Street,  built  by  Jacob 
Toppan  in  1670,  and  still  in  possession  of  his  lineal  descendants. 

House  northeasterly  corner  of  Oakland  and  High  Streets,  was 
owned  and  occupied  by  James  Parton. 

Pillsbury  place.  No.  265  High  Street.  This  was  first  the 
farm  of  Edward  Rawson,  clerk  of  the  town  and  member  of  the 
House  of  Deputies.  Later,  he  was  for  thirty-five  years  secretary  of 
the  Colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  In  165  i  it  was  by  him  sold 
to  Job  C.  Pillsbury,  who  in  1700  erected  a  dwelling  house, 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1889,  and  of  which  the  present 
structure,  owned  and  occupied  by  his  descendants,  is  a  copy. 

Essex,  Merrimac,  or  "Chain"  Bridge.  Here  in  1792  was 
erected  the  first  bridge  across  the  Merrimac  river.  It  was,  in 
1 8  10,  superseded  by  the  present  suspension  bridge,  which  was 
the  second  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 

Deer  Island,  home  of  Harriet  Prescott  SpoiFord.  The  house 
here  was,  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  a  noted  tavern  and 
toll-house  for  the  bridges  on  either  side. 


W'bt  Colonial  l$oolt 


Among  the  most  interesting  spots  to  be  found  are  the  old 
burial  grounds  with  their  curious  and  quaintly  inscribed  head- 
stones, memorials  in  many  cases  of  famous  characters,  and  in 
themselves  a  written  history  of  many  early  events.  Those 
most    easily    reached    are  :  — 

The  Burying  Ground  of  the  First  Parish,  High  Street,  near 
"  Trayneing  Green."    Man)  of  the  first  settlers  are  buried  here. 

The  Old  Hill  Burying  Ground  and  the  New  Hill  Burying 
Ground,  both  on  Pond  Street,  near  Washington  Park.  Here 
are  buried  many  once  prominent  in  local  and  national  affairs. 

St.  Paul's  Church-yard,  High  Street. 

Burying  Ground  of  the  Second  Parish,  Sawyer's  Hill. 

Belleville  Cemetery,  formerly  churchyard  of  Queen  Anne's 
Chapel,  the  first  building  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

Oak  Hill  Cemetery,  State  Street,  consecrated  in  1842,  is  the 
most  important  modern  burying  ground,  and  is  noteworthy  for 
the  beauty  of  its  situation  and  arrangement,  as  well  as  for  its 
entrance  gates  and  many  fine  monuments. 

For  much  of  the  i?iformation  contained  in  the  above 
list  the  compiler  is  indebted  to  a  volume  entitled 
"  OULD  NEWBURT,''  by  John  J.  Currier. 
Published  by   Damrell  and  Upham,  Boston,  Mass. 


^t)t  Colonial  iJoolt 


Newbury 


Georgian 


Paul  Revere 


MADE  IN  STERLING  SILVER  ONLY,  r%%%  FINE. 

The  three  patterns  shown  on  this  page  have  been  issued  since  the 
publication  of  the  second  edition  of  this  book,  and  they  represent  the 
continuance  of  the  Colonial  idea,  which  has  become  a  distinctive  feature 
of  the  product  of  the  Towle  Mfg.  Company,  both  in  Table  Flat  Ware 
and  Hollow  Ware. 


COLONIAL 


THE  Colonial  pattern  embodies  within  the  limited 
compass  of  a  line  of  table  flat  ware  the  purity 
and  dignity  of  the  style  of  architecture  and 
furniture  whose  name  it  bears.  The  popularity 
of  this  style  is  deep-rooted  and  growing,  to  the  extent 
that  it  is  now  accepted  as  the  most  characteristic  and 
appropriate  realization  of  American  taste.  :  :  :  : 
An  unique  feature  of  this  design  is  the  faceted  effect  of 
the  spoon  bowls,  which  thus  harmonize  with  the  angular 
shapes  of  the  Colonial  style,  but  yet  are  so  slightly 
indented  that  this  form  is  no  detriment  to  use,  being,  in 
fact,  hardly  perceptible  when  so  tested.  :  :  :  : 
This  style  of  bowl  is  fully  protected  by  letters 
patent,  and  can  be  had  only  on  the  Colonial  pattern, 
which  is  made  in  sterling  silver  only  (jirVo  fi^ne),  and 
may  be  found  in  the  stocks  of  first-class  Jewelers 
throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Buyers  of 
silverware  should  carefully  examine  the  trade-mark, 
which  is  a  guarantee   of  quality.        :::::: 


STERLING 


TOWLE    MFG.    COMPANY 


sa 


thi 


versmttns 


NEWBURYPORT  :  :  :  MASSACHUSETTS 
CHICAGO  :::::::  ILLINOIS 
NEW  YORK  CITY,    HARTFORD  BLDG.,   UNION  SO. 

The  TOWLE  MFG.  COMPANY  does  no  retail  business  anywhere 


Table 


Table 


Dessert  Dessert  (Reverse) 


Tea  (Small) 


Tea 


Dessert 


Sufijar 


Jelly 


Preserve 


Berry 


The  illustrations  on 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


vSugar  Sifter 


Coffee 


Soup 


Pudding 


Dressing 


Orange 


Ice  Cream 


Chow   Chow 


Bouillon 


The  illustrations  on 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  Is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


Cream  Punch  Gravy  Oyster  Mustard  Soup 


The  illustrations  on 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  Is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


Vegetable 


Pie 


Ice  Cream 


Cheese 


Confection 


Salad 


Salad 


The  illustrations  on 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


Sliced  Lemon 


Cheese 


Bon  Bon 


Olive 


Olive 


Piccalilli 


Cold  Meat 


Beef 


'The  illustrations  on 
'this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  is 
('( I  Divalent  to  one- 
inarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


Ovster 


Lobster 


Fish 
(Individual ') 


Salad 
(Individual 


Chow  Chow  Pickle 


Lettuce 


Child's 


Child's 


Child's  Lemon 


Marrow 


Tete-a-Tete 


Sugar 


The  illustrations  ou 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


Sardine 


Ice 


Asparagus 


Vegetable  Sardine  Cold  Meat  (Large)      Sardine  No.  2     Asparagus 


The  illustrations  on 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  Is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


Trout 


Trout 


Jelly 


Platter 


Cake  v.»rangc- 


Tea 


Cheese         Dessert 


Medium 


Table 


Butter  Butter 

vSpreader  Flat^ 

( Large ) 


The  illustrations  on 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


Meat 


Meat 


Bird 


Bird 


Game  Game  Bread 


The  illustrations  on 
this  page  are  one- 
half  scale,  which  is 
equivalent  to  one- 
quarter  the  actual 
area  of  the  articles. 


k^ 


I  nut?  an  otiytt  yicccjgg  of  i  ^^^^^  _>ffj?^ 
^S^Utt  ^  t^  partly  jgljolrm  in  ttjtjg  tioofiTi 
Ittfnr!)  i!^  at^a  tn^fti  an  account  of  tlfte  tl|(f  f 

j  and  tiyt  act^  of  oyprcgjgjon  tpj)ici)  preceded]^ 
i  and  probohcd  \t',^to  Uiftirfi  arc  abttcd  ^unb 
^     ptfturcj^  c:  jglatfg         grjltngfii  identified 
teitlj  tlji^  niomcntou^a?  conflict  >^  and  in  ^omc 
HiiJwmpIf^mFtSr^Olonial.  or mo0t 
properlp  caUr    @^eotg(an  jg'tple  of  arc! 


tccture»  from  tol^icf)  tf^t  design  of  tlji^  pattern 


t^  derived;  Itjfiicft  ^tnle  toa^  fir^t  produced  in 

fBnfjlmn        tigtftttntf^  ttninvp 

tDa^  ti)t  tcmlt  of  an  adaptation  of  cia^sficai 
elminitjSf  to  neto  conditioni?  of  application,  and 
airoftdpcpjap! 

natne 


purtenant  to  tfje 


By    the     KING, 

^     PROCLAMATION, 

For  fuppreding  Rebellion  and  Sedition. 
GEORGE    R. 

■'-  "     HERE  AS  nuny  of  Our  Subjefls  in  divers  Pans  of  Our  Colonics  and  Plantations 

>  in  North  Amtrtca^  miOcd  by  dangerous  and  iH-dcfigning  iVfcn,  and  forpciting 
*„  the  Allegiance  which  ihcy  owe  to  the  Power  that  has  proicfled  and  fulUined 
them,  after  various  diforderly  Afls  committed  in  D^fturbjnce  of  the  Publick 
Peace,  to  the  Obftruflion  of  lawful  Commerce,  and  to  the  OpprelTion  of  Our 
loyal  Subjefls  carrying  on  the  fame,  have  at  length  proceeded  to  an  open  and 
avowed  Rebellion,  by  arraying  themfelves  in  hoftile  Wanner  to  withftand  the 
Execution  of  the  Law,  and  traitoroufly  preparing,  ordering,  and  levying  War 
againft  Us;  And  whereas  there  it  Realonio  apprehend  that  fuch  Rebellion  hath 
been  much  promoted  and  encouraged  by  the  trait*  rous  Correfpondence,  Counfels,  and  Comfort  of 
divers  wicked  and  dcfpcrate  Perfons  within  this  Realm  :  To  the  End  therefore  that  none  of  Our  Subjefli 
may  ncglcfi  or  violate  their  Duty  through  Ignorance  thereot,  or  through  any  Doubt  of  the  Protcdion 
which  the  Law  will  afTord  to  theit  Loyalty  and  Zeal ;  We  have  thought  fit,  by  and  with  the  Advice  of 
Our  Privy  Council,  to  ilTue  this  Our  Royal  Proclamation,  hereby  declaring  that  not  only  all  Our 
Officers  Civil  and  Military  are  obliged  to  exert  their  utmoft  Endeavours  to  fupprefs  fuch  Rebellion,  and 
10  bring  the  Traitors  to  Juftice;  but  that  all  Our  Subjefls  of  this  Realm  and  the  Dominions  thereunto 
belonging  are  bound  by  Law  to  be  aiding  and  afTifting.in'  the  SupprefHon  of  fuch  Rebellion,  and  to 
difcloic  and  make  known  all  traitorous  Confpiracies  and  Attempts  againft  Us,  Our  Crown  and  Dignity; 
And  We  do  accordingly  (Itjftly  charge  and  command  all  ^ur  Officers  as  well  Civil  as  Military, 
end  all  other  Our  obedient  and  loyal  Subje^s,  to  ufe  their  utmofl  Endeavours  to  withDand  and 
fupprefs  fuch  Rebellion,  and  to  difclofe  and  make  known  all  Treafons  and  traitorous  Conf(>i- 
racics  which  they  Oiall  know  to  be  againfl  Us,  Our  Crown  and  Dignity  ;  and  for  that  Purpole, 
ihaf  they  tranfmit  lo  One  of  Our  Principal  Secretaiics  of  State,  or  other  proper  Officer,  due  and 
full  Information  of  all  Perfons  who  (hall  be  found  carrying  on  Correfpondence  with,  or  in  any 
Manner  or  Degree  aiding  or  abetting  the  Perfons  dow  in  open  Arms, and  Rebellion  againd  Our 
Government  within  any  of  Our  Colonies  and  Plantations  in  North  America  in  order  to  bring  to 
condign  Punilhment  the  Authors,  Perpetrators,  and  Abettors  of  fuch  traitorous  Deligns. 

Given  at  Our  Court  at  St   Jamii'i,  the  Twenty-third  Dsy  of  Augujl,    One   thoufand 
feven  hundred  atid  feventy-five,  in  the  Fifteenth  Year  of  Our  Rcign. 


God    fave    the    King. 


LONDON, 


Fruited  by  ChurUi  Ej"  and  William  Stnlai.  Printers  to  the  King's  moil  Excelltnt  Majefly,     1775. 


liniiiiiiMlillilli:? 


"=N  the  outskirts  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  by  the  water's  edge, 
=  /"^  =  stands  a  picturesque  old  mansion  that  will,  if  we  are  so  minded,  carry 
i  \^^  I  us  backward,  at  one  step,  to  the  "Old  Colony  days"  when  George 
riiiiiiiiijmiMii^     III  ruled  over  the  English  people  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. 

It  was  built  by  Governor  Benning  Wentworth,  and  from  under  its  roof  ^75o 
issued  those  first  edicts  of  oppression  that  stirred  the  people  to  revolt.  Within  ^^5 
its  walls  one  needs  but  little  help  from  fancy  to  people  it  again  with  loyal  re- 
tainers, assembled,  perhaps,  in  its  ancient  council  chamber,  with  ample  chim- 
ney-piece, the  carven  heads  of  which  might,  could  they  exercise  the  privilege  of 
their  sex,  reveal  many  a  bit  of  inner  history.  We  are  prosaic  indeed  if  we  do  not 
feel  the  menace  ot  sudden  alarms  suggested  by  the  grim  array  of  muskets  on  either 
side  of  the  stoutly  barred  door  ;  and  the  discovery  of  a  prisoner's  ward,  tucked  away 
in  a  remote  corner,  should  complete  a  realization  of  the  stern  conditions  of  life  in  the 
eighteenth  century. 

It  is  not  our  purpose,  however,  to  linger  in  this  house,  fascinating  though  it  be, 
but  to  pass  through  it  from  the  world  of  to-day  to  the  times  it  so  vividly  recalls. 
Two  names  that  are  intimately  connected  with  it  will  readily  take  us  across  the 
ocean,  and  back  through  a  century  and  more,  to  the  court  of  the  king  whose  mis- 
guided policy  was  the  birth-warrant  of  our  nation.  One  of  these  we  find  in  New- 
castle, separated  by  a  devious  inlet  from  Little  Harbor  —  where  Governor  Wentworth 
built  —  and  reminiscent  of  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  who  was  prime  minister  of 
England  and  leader  of  the  Whig  party  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionarv  period.  '7^^ 
A  few  years  later,  after  the  turn  of  events  had  deprived  him  of  power,  he  again  ^7^'> 
entered  the  cabinet  with  the  post  of  privy  seal  under  the  leadership  of  the  Marquis  of 
Rockingham,  a  member  of  the  Wentworth  family,  for  whom  Governor  Wentworth 
had  named  the  county  back  of  Portsmouth  and  Newcastle. 

Although  nominally  representative  of  the  people.  Parliament  was  in  those  days 
the  creature  of  its  leaders,  or  the  King,  as  successive  complications  favored  one  or  the 
other  ;  boroughs  were  bought  or  bullied  by  the  dominant  party,  and  thus  the  mo- 
mentous enactments  that  goaded  the  colonists  to  revolt  were  the  results  of  contested 


intrigue,  a  game  with  living 
played  by  the  government 
which  the  English  people 
The  conception  of  the 
to  Jenkinson,  secretary  to 
vored  minister;    but  Parlia- 


an  ©m  J^ount 


^^ 

^ 

M.75 

1 

1 

1 

pieces  and  tremendous  stakes, 
and  the  opposition,  and  in 
had  little  real  voice, 
odious  Stamp  Act  is  credited 
Lord  Bute,  the  King's  fa- 
ment  rejected   it  when  first  ^7^^ 

Si  amp 


(§torux^n 


ovevtioc    WttttwottK     K^ouse 


proposed,  although  it  was  universally  conceded  that  America  should  contribute  to  the 
payment  of  the  enormous  public  debt  contracted  in  the  protection  of  the  colonies 
from  the  French  and  Indians.  Even  Americans  acquiesced  in  this  sentiment,  but 
they  proposed  to  pay  it  by  grants  from  their  assemblies  and  in  their  own  way. 
George,  however,  had  been  exhorted  by  his  mother,  the  Princess  Dowager,  to  "be 
a  king"  and  encouraged  to  assert  his  individuality  —  advice  which  conditions  did  not 
favor,  nor  the  King's  ability  warrant,  but  which  he  persistently  endeavored  to  carry 
out  in  spite  of  its  disastrous  eiFect.      Under  these  circumstances  the  proposition  to 

/76J1  levy  a  stamp  tax  was  revived  and  the  act  passed  in  February,  1765.  William  Pitt, 
the  constant  champion  of  the  colonies,  was  ill  at  the  time,  and  greatly  deplored  its 
passage.      Throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life,  which  ended  while  the  war  was  in 

J77S  progress,  Pitt,  afterwards  Lord  Chatham,  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  liberties  of  the 
colonists ;  but  his  efforts  were  of  little  avail,  and  although  he  was  at  one  time  urged 
by  the  King  to  form  a  ministry,  many  concessions  being  made  to  induce  him  to  do 
so,  personal  ambition  and  the  resulting  internal  friction  had  so  divided  his  party 
that  he  was  unable  to  unite  the  leaders,  and  the  policy  then  in  force  was  suffered  to 
continue. 

In  America  the  Stamp  Act  was  resented  as  a  measure  of  arbitrary  domination,  an 
irritating  and  unreasonable  form  of  taxation  with  no  compensatory  representation. 
Virginia  was  the  first  colony  to  voice  the  opposition  to  this  measure,  and  was  imme- 
diately followed  by  Massachusetts,  which  proposed  a  congress  of  delegates  from  the"" 

'7^J  assemblies  of  all  the  colonies  to  take  united  action  in  protest.  The  congress  met  in 
1765,  and  as  a  result  of  this,  and  Pitt's  scathing  denunciation  in  England,  the  Stamp 

1766    Act  was  repealed  early  in  the  following  year. 

The  King  from  this  time  lost  no  opportunity  of  strengthening  his  party  in 
Parliament,  and  by  the  patronage  he  could  dispense  and  the  intimidation  of  country 
boroughs,  was  able  to  control  both  houses  and  secure  the  enactment  of  his  policy. 
His  next  measure  was  the  levying  of  import  duties  on  colonial  commerce,  which  was  , 


srtir  ^tamii  ^d 


(iieorjri^n 


(SUtmne^- piece 


^i.v3.^» ' ; 


JJJeuttuorfU     liou^e 


7-767 


/^yn 


1773 


growing  rapidly  in  importance,  espe- 
cially with  the  West  Indies;  and  with 
England  alone  amounted  to  about  six 
million  pounds  per  year,  nearly  equal- 
ling the  total  of  British  commerce  with 
the  world  at  the  beginning  of  that 
century.  This  also  met  with  bitter 
protest  and  was  later  repealed  on  every- 
thing but  tea,  which  was  made  to  bear 
the  burden  of  the  principle  of  English 
sovereignty.  This  principle  was  as 
clearly  discerned  in  America  as  in  Eng- 
land, and  the  renunciation  of  tea  be- 
came a  test  ot  patriotism.  Philadelphia 
had  publicly  denounced  all  traffic  in 
tea,  and  the  act  had  been  endorsed  by 
Boston  when  three  ships  laden  with 
the  obnoxious  commodity  arrived  at 
the  latter  port.  Their  arrival  was  fol- 
lowed by  indignant  gatherings  in  Fan- 
euil  Hall,  and  the  consignees  were 
forced  by  public  opinion  to  promise 
that  the  ships  would  be  sent  back  with- 
out unloading ;  but  this  the  Royal  Gov- 
ernor refused  to  permit,  and  declared 
that  no  clearance  papers  would  be  is- 
sued until  the  cargoes  were  discharged. 
At  the  close  of  a  particularly  demon- 
strative meeting  held  at  the  Old  South  Church  on  the  afternoon  of  December 
sixteenth,  1 773,  a  party  of  fifty  citizens,  disguised  as  Indians,  led  the  way  to  the 
wharf,  and,  boarding  the  vessels,  scattered  into  the  harbor  the  contents  of  three 
hundred  and  forty-two  chests,  the  property  of  the  East  India  Companv,  valued  in  the 
neighborhood  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

In  consequence  of  this  action  and  lesser  excuses,  Massachusetts  was  subjected  to   ijj^ 
a  repressive  policy  which  deprived  the  colonists  of  many  liberties  and  was  intended 
to  precipitate  a  struggle,  which  the  King  believed  would  be  short  and  decisive,  for 

the  purpose   of  finally  settling  the  dependence  of  the 
colonies  and  the  sovereignty  of  England. 

The  efi^ect  of  this  "Port  Bill,"  as  the  chief  of 
these  measures  was  called,  was  —  as  was  expected  — 
to  confirm  the  colonists  in  their  resistance,  but  not  in 
the  rash  and  isolated  way  that  was  hoped  for.  Keen, 
powerful  intellects  guided  the  people,  in  the  persons 
of  Samuel  Adams,  John  Adams,  Robert  Treat  Paine, 
and  others,  and  they  immediately  set  about  to  secure 
the  cooperation  of  the  other  colonies,  many  of  which 
were  ripe  for  action,  notably  Virginia,  where  Patrick 


Stamp 


Boston  STta  ]9att|? 


nt>5 


'774 


m4 


l$^ttir^\TSin 


Henry  had  some  years  earlier  openly  denounced  British  oppression,  but  had  lacked 
the  clear  issues  prevalent  in  the  Bay  State.  They  organized  a  Committee  of  Corres- 
pondence, and,  authorized  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Massachusetts,  urged  each 
colony  to  send  delegates  to  a  congress  at  Philadelphia  on  the  first  of  the  following 
September. 

In  June  of  that  year,  1774,  the  port  of  Boston,  then  under  the  military  rule  of 
General  Gage  —  who  had  superseded  Governor  Hutchinson  —  was  closed  to  com- 
merce, causing  a  complete  stagnation  of  business  of  all  kinds,  and  much  deprivation 
and  suffering  among  the  people. 

A  considerable  element  in  Parliament  was  strongly  opposed  to  this  cruelty, 
and  champions  of  the  cause  of  America  were  not  lacking  who  predicted  the  ultimate 
ruin  England  would  suffer  from  this  unwarranted  oppression  of  her  own  sons,  to 
whom,  as  they  urged,  the  sentiments  of  liberty  were  as  precious,  and  whose  strength 
of  purpose  was  as  great,  as  though  no  ocean  separated  them  from  the  free  institutions 
of  the  mother  country.  They  were  powerless,  however,  to  check  the  wave  of  vin- 
dictiveness  that  now,  under  the  fostering  care  of  the  King's  favorites,  was  extending 
even  to  the  people. 

The  large  cities,  always  the  strongholds  of  advanced  ideas,  were  still  in  sympathy 
with  the  colonists,  and  the  spectacle  is  presented  of  the  city  of  London,  in  its  corporate 
capacity,  subscribing  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  the  relief  of  suffering 
in  Boston,  caused  by  the  acts  of  Parliament.  These  were  eventful  days  in  the  New 
England  town,  for  although  the  people  suffered,  their  enthusiasm  was  in  no  way 
diminished,  and  they  overthrew    all    civil    institutions   emanating   from   the    crown. 

Many  prominent  people  who  had  until  this 
time  reserved  the  right  to  support  the  King's 
government  and  hoped  for  a  peaceful  settle- 
ment of  all  troubles,  now  saw  the  serious- 
ness of  the  situation,  and  realizing  the  near 
approach  of  inevitable  division,  sank  their 
personal  regrets  in  love  of  country  and  joined 
heartily  in  the  cause  of  liberty. 

On  the  fifth  of  September,  fifty-three 
delegates  assembled  in  Carpenter's  Hall, 
Philadelphia,  and  under  the  presidency  of 
Peyton  Randolph,  of  Virginia,  formed  a  Con- 
tinental Congress.  While  recognizing  the 
necessity  of  united  action,  these  delegates,  as 
a  whole,  had  not  yet  reached  a  realization  of 
the  need  of  aggressive  rebellion.  The  habit 
of  loyalty  was  too  strong  to  be  put  off  at 
once,  and  it  was  with  a  certain  deference, 
albeit  firmness,  that  they  appealed  to  the 
King,  and  to  the  people  of  Great  Britain,  to 
withdraw  the  odious  measures  that  threat- 
ened to  alienate  the  colonies.  Georgia,  the 
especial  prot(^g6  of  the  King,  was  alone  un- 
represented at  this  gathering,  and  though  at 


ESfQ^' 


iFCvBt   (gTontincntal   C!rongrr»« 


(&t0T^%}xn 


cSFaneuUfJaXl 


Boston 


heart  the  delegates  dreaded 
the  culmination  of  events 
which  their  acts  were  for- 
warding, the  congress 
adopted  measures  to 
strengthen  the  union  and 
co-operation  of  the  states, 
indorsed  Massachusetts  in 
its  resistance,  and  planned 
and  appointed  a  second 
congress  to  meet  the  fol- 
lowing May.  Although 
independence  was  not  yet 
declared,  and,  in  the  minds 
of  many,  was  only  a  re- 
mote possibility,  it  was  in 
reality  inaugurated  on  that 
twentieth  of  October, 
1774,  when  the  "Dec- 
laration  of   Colonial  --'".• '^-^ 

Rights,"  a  comprehensive  document  which  recited  the  injustices  of  Parliament  and 
asserted  the  right  of  self-government,  was  signed  by  the  "American  Association," 
the  forerunner  of  the  confederacy  later  announced  as  the  **  United  States  of 
America." 

As  seed  cast  on  fertile  ground  germinates  and  develops  of  its  innate  powers,  so 
the  American  Revolution  needed  but  the  lightest  sanction  of  administrative  authority. 
Its  real  life  was  the  unwavering  determination  of  individuals  and  communities  to  meet 
squarely  every  issue,  to  see  great  principles  behind  even  small  aggressions,  to  neither 
palliate  nor  compromise,  to  rise  above  considerations  of  policy  and  to  act  from  the  first 
with  no  provision  for  failure  and  no  desire  for  qualified  victory. 

Separation  from  the  mother  country  was  but  incidental  to  this  struggle,  and  was 
only  determined  upon  when  in  the  progress  of  events  it  was  recognized  as  inevitable. 
The  principles  of  liberty  for  which  the  patriots  contended  were  no  less  applicable  here 
than  in  England  itself,  where  their  kinsmen  had  declared  and  enacted  them  nearly  a 
century  before. 

This  spirit  was  manifest,  but  it  was  King  George,  with  his  succession  of  blundering 
provocations,  who  nourished  the  Revolution.  Had  he  realized  the  quality  of  the 
resistance  and  listened  to  the  entreatings  of  Franklin  and  the  other  colonial  agents  at 
Parliament,  he  could  easily  have  retained  that  loyalism  which  was  dear  to  the  colon- 
ists, and  the  price  of  which  was  only  the  extension  of  equal  liberty  to  his  subjects  at 
home  and  abroad. 

Although  at  this  time  the  Americans  were  endeavoring  to  obtain  a  peaceful  estab- 
lishment of  their  rights,  they  clearly  perceived  the  need  of  military  organization,  and 
in  November  the  "Provincial  Congress"  of  Massachusetts, — the  General  Court 
under  a  new  name  —  voted  to  enroll  twelve  thousand  "minute  men"  who  were  to 
be  prepared  to  respond  immediately  when  the  conflict  should  begin  ;  later  it  declared 
its  wish  for  peace,  but  advised  preparations  for  war.      Other  colonies  took  similar 


'774 


'774 


STfte  **^tnn:tcan  ^ssocfatfon** 


^775 


m^ 


(j|ieorjQti»n 


v~ 


action  and  many  minor  episodes  took  place  which  are  locally  held 
to  be  the  initiative  of  the  Revolution.  December  sixth,  the  peo- 
ple of  Rhode  Island  seized  a  large  quantity  of  ordnance  in  the 
batteries  at  Newport,  in  anticipation  of  its  employment  by  the 
King's  troops,  and  the  same  action  was  taken  on  the  thirteenth 
by  the  people  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  who  seized  and 
removed  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition  and  ordnance  then  in 
the  keeping  of  the  garrison  of  Fort  William  and  Mary,  at  New- 
castle. In  the  following  February,  the  people  of  Salem,  Mas- 
sachusetts, taking  heed  from  the  warning  of  their  governing  body, 
began  preparations  for  defense.  These  were  met  by  an  expedi- 
tion from  Gage's  forces  at  Boston,  and  an  engagement  was 
narrowly  averted.  The  real  uprising,  however,  from  which 
armed  rebellion  dates,  was  to  come  later  at  Concord  and  Lex- 
ington. 

Parliament  had  officially  declared  a  state  of  rebellion  existent 
in  Massachusetts  and  embarked  large  reinforcements  to  the  three 
thousand  British  troops  in  Boston,  while  the  patriots  watched 
every  movement  of  the  British  and  prepared  to  meet  their  first 
advance,  which  in  the  nature  of  things  could  not  long  be  de- 
layed. General  Gage,  the  British  commander,  realized  it  to  be 
his  duty  to  break  up  these  preparations,  and  planned  a  secret 
raid  on  the  stores  and  munitions  which  the  Americans  had  con- 
centrated at  Concord,  some  miles  from  Boston,  in  order  that  they 
might  be  safely  outside  the  line  of  fortifications  which  the  British 
were  erecting.  The  plan  also  included  the  capture  of  John 
Hancock  and  Samuel  Adams,  who  were  believed  to  be  in  that 
neighborhood,  and  who  were  justly  regarded  as  most  dangerous  to  British  interests. 
With  this  object  troops  to  the  number  of  eight  hundred  left  Boston  for  Cambridge 
shortly  before  midnight  of  April  eighteenth,  and  with  such  speed  as  was  possible, 
marched  toward  Lexington,  on  the  road  to  Concord.  They  had  counted  on  the 
secrecy  of  their  movements  to  make  the  attainment  of  their  object  easv,  but  in  this  they 
underestimated  the  watchfulness  and  penetration  of  their  opponents,  for  their  purpose 
was  understood  in  advance  and  measures  taken  to  spread  the  alarm  when  they  should 
actually  start. 

Paul  Revere  had  obtained  the  information,  and  he  repaired  to  Charlestown  that 
evening,  there  to  await  the  signal  which  he  had  directed  to  be  shown  from  the  spire 
of  the  North  Church  when  the  soldiers  were  known  to  have  started.  The  two 
lights,  telling  him  that  they  had  gone  by  water  to  Cambridge,  shone  out  at  eleven 
o'clock  and  started  Revere  on  his  momentous  ride.  He  was  obliged  to  take  a  cir- 
cuitous route  to  escape  British  sentinels,  who  challenged  him  and  who  would  have  cap- 
tured a  less  alert  man.  In  spite  of  this  he  gained  a  great 
advance  over  the  attacking  force,  and  alarmed  the  country  to 
Lexington,  where  he  awakened  Adams  and  Hancock,  and 
was  joined  by  two  others  in  his  ride  toward  Concord. 
They  were  hardly  started  when  thev  were  intercepted  bv 
British  officers  and  Revere  and  Dawes  were  taken  prisoners, 


Sower 


IBavls   ^cts 


New    England    Flag 


<^ie0rftiatt 


t 


while  Dr.  Prescott,  the 
third  member  of  the  party, 
jumped  his  horse  over  a 
wall  and  escaped  to  carry 
the  alarm  the  remainder  of 
the  way. 

What  it  meant  to  the 
farmers  was  evident  when, 
early  in  the  morning,  the 
regulars  reached  Lexington 
and  found  the  minute-men 
drawn  up  on  the  green  to 
meet  them.  Compared 
with  the  British,  the  patriots 
were  few  and  were  poorly 
equipped  and  drilled,  but 
their  cause  was  righteous 
and  they  believed  in  it  in 
the  face  of  death.  They, 
therefore,  paid  no  heed  to 
the  demand  that  they  dis- 
perse, but  met  force  with  force  and  shed  the  first  blood  of  the  Revolution.  Eight 
Americans  were  killed  and  others  wounded,  and  the  British  then  continued  their 
march  to  Concord.  Their  commander,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Smith,  alarmed  by  the 
evidences  of  resistance  that  he  encountered,  had  sent  back  to  Boston  for  reinforce- 
ments, which  were  hastening  to  his  assistance. 

Their  mission  at  Concord  was  accomplished  mgloriously  to  the  extent  of  destroy- 
ing such  few  stores  and  guns  as  the  Americans  had  been  unable  to  secrete,  and  they 
were  about  to  return  when  they  discovered  the  minute-men  advancing  from  the  farther 
side  of  the  North  Bridge.  They  essayed  to  cut  off  the  approach  of  the  Americans 
by  removing  the  bridge,  but  were  too  late,  and,  being  obliged  to  retreat  or  fire,  chose 
the  latter,  and  were  answered  by  a  vollev  which  drove  them  from  their  position.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  first  real  fight,  the  passage  at  Lexington  being  hardly  main- 
tained to  an  extent  to  justify  that  title.  The  farmers  withdrew  to  such  shelter  as  they 
could  find  and  awaited  further  movements  of  the  regulars,  who  started  about  noon 
for  their  return  to  Boston.  Their  march  was  the  signal  for  renewed  firing  by  the 
Americans,  who  followed  them,  and  from  the  shelter  of  stone  walls  and  trees  de- 
livered a  harassing  and  destructive  fire. 

Thoroughly  routed,  they  were  fast  being  reduced  when  they  were  met  by 
the  advancing  reinforcements,  one  thousand  men  under  Lord  Percy,  and  for  a  while 
they  rested  under  this  protection.  The  remainder  of  the  retreat,  even  with  the 
greatly  increased  force,  was  a  repetition  of  the  beginning,  and  when  they  finally 
arrived  in  Charlestown,  and  under  the  guns  of  the  British  ships,  they  were  in 
almost  a  panic. 

Thus  began  the  Revolution;  and  the  alarm  carried  by  Paul  Revere  was  extended 
in  all  directions  until  every  road  leading  to  Concord  was  filled  with  minute-men 
hastening   to  reinforce  their  compatriots.      They  remained  in   waiting   a  few  days. 


^775 


(gToncorlr  an5  Herin^ton 


ms 


OSieorrfliutt 


but  no  further  attack  being  made  they  returned  to  their  homes  for  completer  organ- 
ization and  equipment.  They  realized  that  the  struggle  which  was  now  begun  meant 
systematic  operations  of  defense,  for  which  they  were  as  yet  unprepared,  and  an 
army  was  recruited  and  established  in  Cambridge  to  be  ready  for  such  action  as 
might  be  necessary. 

In  the  meantime  the  Massachusetts  delegation  to  the  second  Congress  had 
journeyed,  in  a  succession  of  ovations,  to  Philadelphia,  and  were  assured  of  the  approval 
and  support  of  the  intervening  colonies.  May  tenth,  the  day  this  Congress  opened, 
was  signalized,  though  the  members  knew  not  of  it,  by  the  capture  of  Ticonderoga 
by  an  expedition  from  Connecticut  under  Colonel  Ethan  Allen,  and  a  large  quantity 
of  ammunition  and  ordnance  was  turned  over  to  the  army.  Events  were  moving 
rapidly  without  Congress,  but  it  was  essential  that  there  be  a  central  authority  to  out- 
line the  policy  to  be  pursued  and  provide  means  for  effecting  it.  Even  now  Con- 
gress distrusted  its  own  right  to  be,  and  repeated  its  supplications  to  George  III  to 
settle  without  further  bloodshed  the  differences  that  existed. 

These  entreatings  evidence  the  reluctance  of  the  delegates  to  forswear  their 
allegiance  to  England,  but  the  fact  that  they  nevertheless  took  such  measures  as  were 
possible  to  organize  and  equip  an  army  is  proof  also  of  their  steadiness  of  purpose  and 
desperate  belief  in  the  worthiness  of  their  cause. 

The  first  important  act  of  Congress  was  the  appoint- 
ment of  George  Washington,  one  of  the  delegates  from 
Virginia,  commander-in-chief  of  the  American  army, 
which  was  then,  to  the  number  of  upwards  of  fifteen  thou- 
sand men,  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston. 
t^%  *^AA       'K  This  army,  recruited  by    the    Provincial    Congress 

^j\\\\^v-^    1^  of  Massachusetts,  was  made  up  of  the  minute-men  who 

had  risen  on  the  alarm  of  Lexington,  but  who  had,  in  the 
meantime,  returned  to  their  homes  for  reorganization,  and 
later  volunteers,  with  considerable  reinforcements  from 
neighboring  states,  notably  New  Hampshire  and  Con- 
necticut ;    and  under  the   leadership 


1775 


®lftJ50tttt) 

cri)urc>> 


of  officers  whose  names  are  now  the 
foundations  of  Revolutionary  history, 
was  besieging  Boston  and  planning  to 
drive  out  the  British,  or  at  least  to 
prevent  them  from  increasing  their 
holdings. 

While  Washington  was  preparing 
to  start  for  New  England,  events  in 
Boston  were  rapidly  shaping  them- 
selves for  the  active  operations  of  war. 
General  Gage,  the  British  commander, 
-'  was     forced    to     take     measures     to 

maintain  his  position,  and  determined  to  forestall  the  Americans  in  the  occupation  of 
Charlestown,  across  the  river,  and  so  near  his  headquarters  that  he  was  liable  at  any 
time  to  be  subjected  to  a  harassing  fire.  His  plans  were  disturbed,  however,  by  the  dis- 
covery, on  the  morning  of  June  seventeenth,  of  fortifications  which  the  Americans  had 


^tcontr  eongtrsfii 


(^tOTts^x^n 


Bedford!    ^asia; 


^77S 


thrown  up  on  Bunker  Hill  in  one  short  night. 
It  had  become  known  to  the  American 
commanders  that  Gage  contemplated  moving 
on  the  eighteenth,  and  over  a  thousand  hardy 
and  intelligent  men,  under  skillful  direction, 
worked  with  pick  and  shovel  Irom  the  settling 
of  darkness  on  the  sixteenth  to  the  dawn  of 
the  seventeenth,  and  then,  with  slight  rein- 
forcements, awaited  the  attack  of  the  British. 

Prescott,  Warren,  Stark,  and  Knowlton 
were  among  the  American  commanders,  and 
by  their  personal  bravery  and  perseverance 
they  sustained  the  courage  of  their  men,  with 
the  result  that  the  British  attacking  force  of 
three  thousand,  with  all  its  perfect  equip- 
ment, was  twice  repulsed  with  fearful  loss, 
and  only  yielded  to  after  a  third  destructive 
charge,  and  when  the  last  round  of  their 
meagre  ammunition  was  exhausted.  Under  the  cover  of  a  protecting  fire  from  a  line 
of  auxiliary  defense,  a  part  of  the  original  plan,  the  Americans  retreated  and  left  the 
British  in  possession  of  one  of  the  most  dearly  bought  battle-fields  of  history.  The 
British  loss  was  enormous,  and  this  engagement  prevented  further  aggression  beyond 
the  limits  of  their  original  holding.  It  also  resulted  in  the  superseding  of  Gage  by 
General  Howe,  as  commander  of  all  the  British  forces.  The  news  of  this  battle 
reached  Washington  soon  after  he  had  left  Philadelphia,  and  aroused  in  him  con- 
fidence in  the  eventual  success  of  the  American  cause.  He  arrived  in  the  vicinity 
of  Boston  on  July  second,  and  on  the  third  took  command  of  the  troops  drawn  up  on 
Cambridge  common. 

This  army,  though  considerable  in  numbers  and  overflowing  with  patriotism,  was 
lacking  in  military  organization,  and  to  the  task  of  drilling  and  uniting  it,  and  also 
supplying  ammunition  and  further  equipment,  Washington  applied  himself  through  the 
summer  and  following  winter,  while  maintaining  a  close  siege  over  the  British  in 
Boston.  Early  in  March,  1 776,  under  the  cover  of  a  bombardment  from  his  base  ^'^7° 
of  operations,  Washington  secretly  marched  a  large  body  of  men  to  Dorchester 
Heights,  a  commanding  position  on  the  opposite  side  of  Boston,  and  one  of  ex- 
treme menace  to  the  British.  The  latter  awoke  on  the  morning  of  March  fifth,  to 
find  a  repetition  of  the  frowning  embankments  that  had  spurred  them  to  action  on 
Bunker  Hill,  this  time  on  the  landward  side  of  the  town,  though  separated  from  it 
by  a  small  bay. 

Realizing  the  seriousness  of  the  situation,  Howe  made  preparations  for  attack,  but 
unfavorable  weather  prevailed  for  a  day  or  two,  giving  the  Americans  opportunity  for 

^_^  strengthening  their   position,    and    after 

f^^^^^"^'"'  -•.:":-"■  ■''""'?>^,    some    days    of    hesitation,     the    British 


/ 


#_• 


^'^^^SS^S^':^  ^%    evacuated  Boston,  sailing  away  on  March 

*«a•»..;^i■.-'^J<-.^l77^^c^v^'' ■'•;'.,  J    seventeenth,    and    carrying    with     them 

about   a    thousand    Tories,    whom    they 


;;:•   ooNT  rm.  unless  nREO  upow'^   Jj^j^ 

-eUT  \f  THEY    MEAN  t6   HAVE, AWAR  "''''" 


LtT   IT  BECIN   HERE 


Boulder 
Green 


on    Lexington 

i3ttnlfeirr  ^\\\ 


a^tOT^inn 


1776 


1775 


ou0e 


transported  with  their  goods  to  Halifax. 
New  England,  the  birthplace  of  the 
Revolution,  was  thus  saved  to  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  freed,  for  the  most  part,  from 
further  strife  in  the  barely  awakened 
cause. 

Washington,  from  time  of  taking  com- 
mand of  the  army,  was  the  centre  of  inter- 
est, and  the  course  of  the  Revolution  was 
chiefly  with  the  troops  under  his  personal 
direction  ;  but  it  is  necessary,  in  even  an 
outline  of  the  war,  to  note  certain  secon- 
dary expeditions  and  lesser  incidents  in 
progress  at  the  time  when  Washington 
was  encamped  before  Boston. 

Canada  was  recognized  from  the  first, 
by  the  American  leaders,  as  a  menace  to 
the  unity  of  the  colonies  by  reason  of 
the  possibilities  it  offered  as  a  base  for 
operations  through  the  valley  of  the  Hud- 
son to  the  sea-coast,  which  would  isolate 
New  England  and  prevent  its  intercom- 
munication, either  offensive  or  defensive, 
with  other  sections.  To  obviate  this 
danger,  Washington  early  decided  to  at- 
tempt the  conquest  of  Canada,  and  organized  two  expeditions,  to  travel  different 
routes  and  meet  at  Quebec  for  a  joint  assault. 

One  under  Montgomery  passed  up  Lake  Champlain  and  captured  Montreal  and 
intervening  points.  The  other  under  Benedict  Arnold  embarked  at  Newburyport, 
and  then,  following  the  Kennebec  River,  and  through  the  wilderness  beyond,  reached 
Quebec  in  December,  1775,  after  a  journey  of  extraordinary  difficulty  and  hardship. 
Montgomery,  with  but  a  remnant  of  his  forces,  soon  arrived,  and  with  those  of  Arnold 
—  also  greatly  diminished  —  formed  an  attacking  body  of  but  little  over  a  thousand 
men,  to  assault  a  city  noted  for  its  strong  situation  and  elaborate  fortifications.  The 
attempt,  though  gallant  and  for  a  time  encouraging,  failed  with  the  death  of  Mont- 
gomery and  wounding  of  Arnold ;  and  although  held  besieged  by  the  latter  for 
the  rest  of  the  winter,  the  city  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  British,  and 
in  the  spring  the  Americans  were  forced,  by  the  approach  of  a  powerful  relief 
'77^  expedition  under  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  to  abandon  their  advantage  and  leave  Canada 
for  good  and  all. 

At  this  time  the  British  were  using  their  ships,  against  which  we  could  as  yet 
oppose  none,  to  harass  outlying  ports,  and  with  apparently  no  plan  other  than  the 
resulting  terror  and  apprehension  in  all  coast  towns.  Falmouth,  Maine,  now  Port- 
land, was  bombarded  and  then  burned  ;  and  the  British,  at  the  instigation  of  Lord 
^775  Dunmore,  Governor  of  the  Province,  attacked  Hampton,  Virginia,  and  later  Nor- 
folk. At  both  places  they  were  repulsed,  but  Norfolk  suffered  heavily  from  bombard- 
ment and  fire.      Patriotism   in   the   South  was  further   stimulated   by  an   attack  on 


<auetiec  lEIrii^^itCon 


(Sie0rj0(i»n 


Charleston,  South  Carolina,  a  few  months  later.  A  large  fleet  under  Admiral  Parker, 
with  General  Clinton  for  military  commander,  was  organized  to  take  that  city 
and  subdue  the  surrounding  country  ;  news  of  this  plan  reached  South  Carolina,  and 
active  preparations  were  made  to  resist  the  invasion.  Troops  of  militia,  local  and 
from  neighboring  states,  occupied  all  available  positions,  and  a  fort  of  palmetto-wood 
was  erected  on  Sullivan's  Island  and  manned  by  five  hundred  men  under  Colonel 
Moultrie.  This  fort  was  the  chief  defense  of  the  city  and  was  relied  upon  to  with-  m^ 
stand  the  brunt  of  the  attack,  although  it  was  by  some  considered  entirely  inadequate 
for  the  purpose. 

Early  in  June  the  British,  in  upwards  of  thirty  vessels,  arrived  at  the  entrance  to 
the  harbor,  but  with  characteristic  delay,  it  was  four  weeks  before  they  were  ready  to 
attack.  Clinton's  forces  were  rendered  ineffective  by  being  stupidly  disembarked  on  a 
sand-bar  from  which  they  expected  to  cross  to  Sullivan's  Island,  but  to  which  there  was 
no  practicable  ford.  Parker  opened  fire  on  Fort  Sullivan  with  six  ships,  and  after 
an  engagement  lasting  all  day,  was  obliged  to  withdraw  what  remained  of  his  fleet 
and  give  up  the  attempt.  It  was  a  most  notable  victory  for  American  courage  and 
perseverance  under  almost  overwhelming  odds,  and  it  raised  Colonel  Moultrie  to 
a  place  among  the  greatest  heroes  of  the  war.  An  incident  of  this  battle  was  the 
heroism  of  Sergeant  Jasper  in  replanting  on  the  bastion  the  colors  which  had  been 
shot  away. 

As  the  evacuation  of  Boston  had  practically  ended  the  war  in  New  England,  so 
the  defeat  at  Charleston  freed  the  South  from  further  molestation  for  some  years,  and 
removed  the  centre  of  strife  to  the  Middle  States,  where  less  determined  resistance 
was  to  be  feared.  Washington,  realizing  that  the  British  would  turn  to  New  York  as 
their  logical  base  of  operations,  removed  his  army  to  that  place  soon  after  the  taking 
of  Boston,  and  made  preparations  to  defend  the  city  as  well  as  his  inadequate  and 
poorly  equipped  army  might  be  able  to.  Congress,  which  had  mainly  directed  its 
efforts  to  additional  attempts  to  secure  peaceful  recognition  from  King  George,  had 
utterly  failed,  through  inability  or  inattention,  to  provide  for  the  increase  or  sustenance 
of  the  army,  and  was  at  any  time  liable  to  disruption  from  the  growing  differences  of 
delegates  as  to  the  policy  to  be  pursued.  There  was,  as  yet,  no  union,  and  therefore 
no  responsible  government  which  could  organize  internal  affairs  and  collect  funds. 
This  condition,  coupled  with  the  vanishing  of  hope  of  any  concession  from  the  King, 
who  had  declared  the  colonists  rebels  and  announced  his  determination  to  crush  them, 
emphasized  the  need  of  a  basis  for  a  permanent  government ;  and  after  some  hesitation 

on  the  part  of  representatives  of  a  few  states,  7776 
it  was  voted,  on  the  second  of  July,  1776,  to 
announce  to  the  world  the  principles  for  which 
the  American  people  were  contending.  A  com- 
mittee, of  which  Thomas  Jefferson,  a  delegate 
from  Virginia,  recently  arrived,  was  chosen 
chairman,  was  appointed  to  formulate  the  declara- 
tion, the  writing  of  which  was  entrusted  to  Jef- 
ferson. The  result  of  his  labor  and  the  delib- 
erations of  the  committee,  was  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  laid  before  Congress  on  the  fourth 
of  July  and  unanimously  accepted. 


Massachusetts 


^fiairUfiiton 


(H^tovai^SLVL 


177b 


1776 


This  forceful  and  inspiring  document  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  civilized  world,  and  made  possible  the 
union  subsequently  effected.  It  has  maintained,  and  will 
ever  hold,  its  position  as  the  most  revered  and  precious 
relic  of  American  history  ;  and  it  is  one  of  the  evidences 
of  the  quality  of  mind  and  character  which  the  early 
patriots  brought  to  the  cause  of  liberty. 

From  Philadelphia,  where  the  people  awaited  breath- 
lessly the  peal  of  the  State  House  bell,  which  should 
••  Proclaim  Liberty  throughout  all  the  land,  to  all  the 
inhabitants  thereof";  through  New  York,  where  the 
message  was  read  to  the  troops  drawn  up  on  the  Common, 
and  was  boisterously  celebrated  by  the  populace,  which 
demonstrated  its  patriotism  by  tearing  from  the  pedestal 
on  Bowling  Green  an  equestrian  statue  of  George  III,  of 
gilded  lead,  that  from  glorifying  the  King  was  turned 
against  him  in  the  form  of  rebel  bullets ;  to  Boston, 
where,  in  some  ways  it  meant  more  than  it  elsewhere 
could  —  the  acceptance  by  the  united  colonies  of  the 
cause  nurtured  on  Boston's  wrongs  —  the  country  hailed 
with  enthusiasm  this  brilliant  crystalization  by  its  ablest 
representatives,  in  solemn  congress  assembled,  of  the  sen- 
timents which  for  months  had  fired  individuals  every- 
where, but  had  lacked  the  official  approval  of  the  leaders. 
A  large  measure  of  this  unanimity  was  due  to  the  wide- 
spread appreciation  of  Paine's  "Common-Sense,"  pub- 
lished the  previous  winter,  in  which  Thomas  Paine,  an 
Englishman  who  had  been  in  this  country  but  a  short 
time,  grasped  and  set  forth  in  convincing  style,  the  prin- 
ciples involved  in  the  struggle  with  the  mother  country, 
and  the  reasons  why  rebellion  was  just  and  right.  Paine 
showed  the  people  what  they  sought  and  needed  ;  Congress  declared  it  an  accom- 
plished fact  and  bestirred  in  its  defense. 

Meanwhile  the  cause  in  the  field  was  experiencing  misfortunes  and  disasters  cal- 
culated to  weaken  its  popularity,  and  was  only  saved  from  extermination  by  Wash- 
ington's ability  to  successively  extricate  his  army  from  seemingly  overwhelming 
situations.  He  had  established  himself  in  New  York  and  Brooklyn  with  the  ten 
thousand  troops  that  represented  all  that  was  available 
—  many  of  that  number  for  but  a  short  period  only  —  of 
the  army  brought  from  Boston,  and  endeavored  to  hold 
in  check  the  large  and  powerful  armies  under  Howe  and 
Clinton,  the  latter  having  reached  there  from  his  defeat 
at  Charleston,  supported  by  powerful  ships  of  war. 
His  detachments  on  Long  Island  under  Sullivan  and  Stir- 
ling were  badly  routed,  and  the  situation  there  was 
strongly    against  him,  when   Washington    brought   over 


Statue    of 
€a}Jtain|f5atl)an 
J^  a  I  e    li  p 
a^acmonnic^ 


New    Hampshire 

Declcitation  of 


(ieorjaian 


®ta  Wm  ©fficr,  ftbmon 

Cotm 


Connecticut 


^776 


reinforcements  and  en- 
gaged in  preparing  for- 
tifications, as  though 
intending  a  continu- 
ance of  operations  ;  hut 
the  next  morning,  Au- 
gust twenty-ninth, 
found  the  place  utterly 
deserted,  his  army  hav- 
ing been  ferried  across 
to  New  York  under 
cover  of  the  night  and 
a beneficentfog.  Colo- 
nel Glover's  Marblehead  fishermen  accomplished  this  feat  for  Washington,  and  the 
British,  who  surrounded  the  Americans  and  expected  an  easy  and  decisive  victory, 
were  doomed  to  disappointment.  They,  however,  knew  their  strength  and  Wash- 
ington's weakness,  and  assailed  him  on  all  sides  of  the  stand  taken  in  New  York, 
driving  him  in  a  few  days  to  Harlem  Heights.  Washington's  personal  bravery  as 
he  rode  among  his  panic-stricken  men  was  the  slender  thread  by  which  he  was 
enabled  to  finally  withdraw  his  troops. 

It  was  especially  desirable  at  this  time  that  some  knowledge  be  obtained  of  the 
intended  movements  of  the  British,  and  Washington  accepted  the  services  of  Captain 
Nathan  Hale  of  Connecticut,  who  volunteered  to  visit  the  enemy's  camp  as  a  spy. 
He  penetrated  the  British  lines  and  obtained  the  information  without  discovery,  but 
on  his  way  back  was  recognized  and  arrested  by  a  Tory  relative.  He  was  taken 
before  Howe  and  sentenced  to  death,  and  was  executed  September  twenty-second. 
Every  benefit  of  humanity  and  religion  was  denied  him,  yet  he  met  his  death  with 
high  courage,  and  his  last  words,  "  I  only  regret  that  I  have  but  one  life  to  give 
for  my  country,"  have  become  immortal. 

In  the  face  of  his  retreat,  Washington  sent  detachments  to  check  the  advance  of 
the  enemy's  outposts,  and  after  sharp  fighting  drove  them  back  to  the  main  lines. 
The  American  position  was  here  fairly  strong,  but  not  strong  enough  to  warrant 
Washington  in  risking  his  army ;  so  on  the  further  advance  of  the  British,  he  seized 
favorable  points  and  held  them  in  check  until  he  could  again  retreat,  this  time  to 
White  Plains,  on  the  bank  of  the  Bronx  River. 

Once  more  the  British  under  Howe  thought  to  crush  the  American  forces  and 
end  the  war,  and  once  more,  after  a  sharp  engagement,  the  Americans  succeeded  in    jy^f, 

escaping  and  establishing  themselves  in  a  stronger 
position  at  North  Castle.  Forts  Washington  and 
Lee,  which  defended  the  Hudson  River  at  Harlem, 
were  left  garrisoned  with  the  expectation  of  their 
being  able  to  hold  the  position ;  but  the  British 
having  obtained,  through  the  treachery  of  a  deserter 
from  Fort  Washington,  complete  information  as  to 
the  strength  and  arrangement  of  that  fortification, 
it  was  successfully  assaulted  on  November  sixteenth. 


li^alf 


Cieorgfian 


and  two  thousand  men  taken  pris- 
oners.      This  loss,    with  General 
jj-^()  ^\  ^  V.  ''       Lee's  disobedience  in  withholding, 

on  the  other  side  of  the  Hudson, 
the  large  body  of  troops  under  his 
command,  left  Washington  in  a 
desperate  situation.  His  army  was 
reduced  through  these  causes,  and 
the  expiration  of  the  terms  of  enlist- 
ment of  many  of  the  militia,  to  the 
neighborhood  of  three  thousand 
men,  and  continual  discharges  and 
desertions,  with  the  failure  of  efforts 
to  secure  re-enlistments  or  fresh  re- 
cruits, threatened  to  leave  but  a 
fraction  of  that  number.  Fortu- 
nately at  this  time  General  Lee's 
troops  were  brought  in  by  General 
Sullivan,  the  former  having  been 
taken  prisoner  while  at  a  distance 
from  his  army. 

The  British,  holding  all  the 
important  points  captured,  contin- 
ued their  advance  to  Trenton  and 
occupied  that  place  preparatory  to 
marching  on  Philadelphia,  but  later 
abandoned  that  part  of  the  plan. 
The  fear  of  this  disaster  was  intense 
in  Philadelphia,  and  Congress  con- 
sidered it  necessary  to  adjourn  to  Baltimore,  after  vesting  the  entire  control  of  the 
war  in  Washington;  a  compliment  which  would  have  been  more  appreciated  had  it 
brought  greater  opportunities  instead  of  adding  to  the  perplexities  ot  that  general. 
He  watched  the  enemy  from  a  safe  distance  while  exerting  himself  strenuously  to 
strengthen  his  army,  though  with  little  success.  The  misfortunes  which  made  the 
necessity  most  urgent  operated  against  his  efforts,  and  no  enthusiasm  could  be  aroused 
for  an  apparently  failing  cause.  Little  as  the  prospect  offered,  he  realized  that  some- 
thing must  be  done,  and  done  quickly,  or  the  new  year  would  find  him  almost  with- 
out men. 
177b  Bold  as   the  plan  seemed   when   the  possibilities  were  considered,   Washington 

made  up  his  mind  to  attack  Trenton,  and  despatched  several  detachments  to  diverse 
points  to  ensure  the  surrounding  of  the  enemy.  Christmas  night  was  the  time  settled 
upon  for  the  assault,  and  Washington,  with  twenty-four  hundred  men,  arrived  at  the 
bank  of  the  Delaware  in  a  fierce  storm  of  snow  and  sleet,  to  find  the  river  swollen 
and  filled  with  swiftly-moving  ice.  To  a  lesser  man  the  difficulties  would  have  been 
insuperable,  as  they  appeared  to  his  aides,  to  whom  the  duty  was  intrusted  of  attacking 
from  other  points,  and  who  failed  to  cross.      To  Washington  it  meant  but  the  call 


American  11000^0 


(gtoTj^mn 


IIIIIIINIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIIllllllHllllilllllllllllllllll 

NC 


I    1776 


UNITE 

niililH.|i.in,|,||,i..niltiilllHiJilMminiHfi.i 


OR     DIE 

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for  greater  effort,  and, 
encouraged  by  his  ex- 
ample and  guided  by  the 
hardy  fishermen  of  Mar- 
blehead,  the  troops  were 
safely,  though  with  great 
difficulty,  transported  to 
the  Trenton  side,  where 
they  set  out  upon  an  ex- 
hausting march  to  the 
town,  regardless  of  the 
storm  and  the  pains  of 
travel  on  the  frozen 
ground.      Colonel    Rahl 

had  been  warned  that  Washington  was  planning  an  attack,  but,  as  usual,  affected  to 
despise  his  opponent,  and  the  twelve  hundred  Hessians  were  in  the  midst  of  a 
characteristic  Christmas  celebration  from  which  all  thought  of  the  enemy  was 
banished,  when  the  foot-sore  and  wearied  Americans  burst  upon  them.  Rahl's  men, 
thoroughly  panic-stricken,  offered  little  or  no  resistance,  and  in  attempting  to  rally 
them  their  commander  was  shot  down.  A  few  were  killed  and  some  escaped,  but 
about  one  thousand,  with  all  their  artillery  and  stores,  were  made  prisoners  and  taken 
in  triumph  to  Philadelphia. 

Washington  lost  no  time,  after  this  inspiring  victory,  in  following  up  the  advantage 
gained,  and  returning  with  fresh  troops,  re-occupied  Trenton.  Howe  felt  heavily  the 
loss  of  prestige  and  men  resulting  from  the  defeat  of  Christmas  night,  and  once  more 
determined  to  overwhelm  the  meagre  army  of  Washington  and  terminate  the  harassing 
rebellion.  To  this  end  Lord  Cornwallis,  with  seven  thousand  men,  set  out  from 
Princeton,  January  second.  They  were  met  on  the  road  by  detachments  of  Americans  -^777 
sent  out  to  retard  their  movement,  and  slowly  driving  the  skirmishers  before  them, 
made  their  way  to  Trenton. 

The  main  body  of  the  American  army  was  entrenched  just  outside  the  town,  on 
the  further  bank  of  the  Assanpink,  and  here  the  British  prepared  to  attack.  An  at- 
tempt to  cross  the  bridge  was  repulsed,  and  Cornwallis  contented  himself  for  that  day 
with  cannonading  the  enemy  from  the  opposite  shore,  and  planning  to  assault  them  on 
the  following  morning  when  reinforced.  The  British  habit  of  delay  at  critical  junc- 
tures had  before  given  Washington  opportunity  to  extricate  his  army  from  dangerous 
situations,  and  he  took  advantage  of  it  on  this  occasion  to  abandon  his  position  on  the 
Assanpink  and  march  on  Princeton  —  where  Cornwallis  had  left  three  regiments  of  his 
army  —  from  whence  he  hoped  to  pass  to  Brunswick  and  capture  the  large  quantity  of 
British  stores  known  to  be  there.  With  his  usual  adroitness.  Washing- 
withdrew  undetected  by  the  army  on  the  opposite  bank,  which 
rded  the  brightly  burning  camp-fires,  kindled  for  the  purpose,  as 
3ubted  evidence  of  the  continued  presence  of  the  Americans, 
ceton   was    reached   early  on   the  morning  of  January   third,  and 

the  British  troops  were  encountered 
just  a-'      hey    were  leaving  to   join 


General    Putnam's 
Plough 


\6 


n77 


(Storrj9i»n 


Cornwallis.  A  battle  en- 
sued, which,  though  at 
times  apparently  in  favor 
of  the  British  —  owing  to 
the  inability  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, through  lack  of 
equipment,  to  meet  bay- 
onet charges — resulted 
finally  in  a  splendid  vic- 
tory for  Washington, 
whose  personal  valor  and 
encouragement  strength- 
ened his  men  and  turned 
the  balance  to  his  side. 
The  British  fled  to  Bruns- 
wick, but  the  day  was  so 
far  spent  that  Washington 
deemed  it  unwise  to  at- 
tack that  place,  and  after 
destroying  the  bridges  be- 
tween his  army  and  that 
of  Cornwallis,  withdrew  to  Somerset  Court  House,  and  thence  to  Morristown, 
where  he  went  into  winter  quarters.  Cornwallis,  discomfited  at  his  failure  at  Tren- 
ton and  the  defeat  of  his  troops  at  Princeton,  returned  to  Brunswick  to  protect  his 
magazines,  and  suspended  operations  for  the  winter. 

The  effect  of  these  victories  on  the  country  and  the  outside  world  was  to  raise  the 
American  cause  from  the  lowest  ebb  of  discouragement  to  enthusiastic  support  at  home 
and  increased  respect  abroad.  France,  though  yet  unwilling  to  openly  favor  this  coun- 
try, was  secretly  sending  supplies,  and  from  that  country  and  Germany  and  Prussia 
came  able  and  devoted  officers  to  assist  our  cause.  Recruiting  became  easier  and  re- 
1777  enlistments  frequent,  enabling  Washington  to  greatly  strengthen  his  army  and  prepare 
for  a  renewal  of  the  struggle  with  the  coming  of  spring. 

Events  moved  slowly  at  this  time,  a  condition  to  which  the  American  cause  in  the 
field  was  frequently  indebted,  and  yet  the  forces  at  work  were  making  for  results  soon 
to  place  the  struggle  for  independence  on  a  basis  of  international  recognition  and 
eventual  support.  After  declaring  independence.  Congress  had  dispatched  emissaries  to 
the  courts  of  Europe,  and  especially  to  France,  where  the  sympathy  of  progressive 
leaders  established  the  cause  in  substantial  favor.  Many  of  the  ablest  members  were 
thus  employed,  or  were  called  to  their  homes  to  direct  the  sustaining  operations  of  the 
war,  so  that  the  representation  left  was  appreciably  inferior  as 
a  whole,  and  of  little  real  assistance  as  an  executive  body.  It 
was  inadequate  to  the  task  of  supporting  the  army  or  of  adding 
materially  to  its  numbers,  and  its  financial  system,  lacking 
bassi  and  credit,  was  a  failure  from  the  start.  To  the  army 
it  commissioned  officers  in  many  cases  incompetent ;  and 
through  a  misunderstanding  of  facts,  or  unduly  influenced  by 


Rhode    Island 


Drfncfton 


^ 


interested  parties,  it  superseded  competent  generals  at  critical  times  and  placed  inferior 
men  in  command.  Lacking  official  support,  the  Revolution  was  sustained  by 
popular  contribution  through  the  state  leaders,  the  work  of  Robert  Morris,  of  Phila- 
delphia, being  especially  memorable,  and  of  inestimable  service  to  Washington  in 
his  efforts  to  hold  together  and  strengthen  his  army. 

Connecticut  bore  a  generous  share  in  equipping  and  sustaining  the  troops,  and  at 
this  time  suffered  locally  from  the  proximity  of  the  British  quartered  at  New  York. 
On  April  twenty-sixth,  1777,  Governor  Tryon  of  New  York,  with  two  thousand 
British  and  Tories,  attacked  and  burned  Danbury,  and  destroyed  a  large  quantity  of 
American  stores.  On  the  following  day  the  militia,  under  Generals  Wooster,  Arnold,  jjjj 
and  Silliman,  forced  Tryon  to  the  coast  after  an  engagement  at  Ridgefield,  and  the 
British  embarked  under  heavy  fire.  General  Wooster,  a  veteran  of  seventy  years, 
was  mortally  wounded.  A  month  later  the  Americans  under  Colonel  Meigs  retal- 
iated by  crossing  from  Connecticut  to  Sag  Harbor,  on  Long  Island,  where  they 
burned  twelve  British  vessels  and  destroyed  stores,  bringing  back  ninety  prisoners  with- 
out the  loss  of  a  man. 

Another  incident  illustrative  of  the  daring  and  adroitness  of  the  American  soldiers 
was  the  capture  of  General  Prescott,  commander  o^  the  British  forces  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Rhode  Island,  whose  tyranny  had  excited  the  indignation  of  the  people.  On 
the  night  of  July  tenth.  Lieutenant  Barton  of  Providence,  with  forty  men,  stealthily 
approached  Prescott' s  headquarters  by  water,  and,  overpowering  the  sentinel, 
secured  Prescott,  who  was  in  bed,  and  escaped  before  the  alarm  spread  to  the  troops. 


Haitro   in  (STonnrctCcut 


(ie0rj0ii»n 


nn 


Congress  recog- 
nized this  act  by 
promoting  Barton 
to  the  rank  of  colo- 
nel and  presenting 
him  a  sword. 

Spring  brought 
a  renewal  of  activ- 
ity in  the  armies 
facing  each  other  in 
the  South,  and  in 
the  North  it  saw 
the  development  of 
a  plan  to  effect  the 
^  ^  separation  of  New 

^ttt^dtOtlgi,^*    England   from    the 
"  "^^ '      •*  "  ""  >■  ■"  — "  of  nf*T*  stsfcs         T  his 

'^^^  "'  ^^^  ^teeUbUrg   '^OUde     had  long  bien  rec- 

"'""'^  ognized  as  an   im- 

pending possibility,  and  the  division  of  the  North  under  General  Schuyler,  though 
weak  in  numbers,  was  so  placed  as  to  offer  the  utmost  resistance  to  the  anticipated  move- 
ment. Lake  Champlain,  the  natural  path  of  such  invasion,  had,  the  previous  sum- 
mer, been  the  scene  of  a  strenuous,  if  not  mighty,  struggle  with  the  same  object,  when 

1776  Benedict  Arnold  had,  by  dint  of  extraordinary  effort,  created  a  flotilla,  effectively  armed 
and  manned,  with  which  he  vigorously  contested  Sir  Guy  Carleton's  ascent  of  the 
lake  ;  and,  while  ultimately  forced  to  retreat,  so  delayed  and  crippled  the  enemy  that 
the  British  expedition  was  fruitless  for  that  season,  so  far  as  the  main  object  was  con- 
cerned. The  ground  thus  gained  was  held,  and  served  Sir  John  Burgoyne,  the  suc- 
cessor of  Carleton,  to  launch  with  great  pomp  in  June,  1777,  an  army  of  eight 
thousand  men,  including  Indians  —  now  for  the  first  time  employed  —  which  main- 
tained its  triumphant  progress  only  so  long  as  the  waters  of  the  lake  formed  the  line 
of  passage.  They  erected  fortifications  on  Mt.  Defiance,  near  Ticonderoga,  from 
which  commanding  position  they  were  able  to  throw  a  destructive  fire  into  the  fort  ; 
and  General  St.  Clair,  who  occupied  the  post  with  somewhat  less  than  three  thou- 
sand ill-armed  troops,  abandoned  it  on  the  night  of  July  fifth,  and  undertook  to  join 
Schuyler  at  Fort  Edward.  The  British  started  after  him  and  several  times  engaged 
his  rear  guard,    but  at  the   end    of  a  week   the  Americans   succeeded  in   reaching 

1777  Schuyler,  though  with  the  loss  of  some  men  and  a  considerable  amount  of  baggage, 
captured  by  the  British  at  Skenesboro.  At  this  point  the  struggle  with  natural  con- 
ditions began,  which  offered,  difficult  as  it  was,  the  only  means  by  which  Burgoyne 
could  pass  to  Albany,  where  he  hoped  to  meet  forces  under  Howe,  which  were  to 
come  up  the  Hudson  and  thus  dominate  the  line  from  Canada  to  Long  Island. 
Schuyler,  realizing  the  overwhelming  force  of  the  invading  army,  fell  back  in  slow 
retreat,  destroying  the  only  road  as  he  passed,  burning  bridges  and  clogging  streams, 
besides  devastating  the  country  of  everything  that  could  be  utilized  to  sustain  an  army. 
Under  these  circumstances  Burgoyne's  progress,  with  all  the  facilities  of  a  thoroughly 
equipped  army,  was  only  about  one  mile  a  day,  and  the  Americans  were  enabled  to 


JStttgoffnt^B   iSriif^itCon 


(gf^OTfi^mn 


J9 


keep  well  out  of  reach  until  reinforcements  and  a  favorable  situation  should  enable 
them  to  make  a  stand. 

A  strong  detachment  of  the  invaders,  under  St.  Leger,  had  been  sent  to  the  west- 
w^ard  to  take  Fort  Stanwix,  held  by  General  Ganesvoort.  They  met  with  determined 
resistance,  and  vigorous  fighting  took  place  at  the  fort,  and  at  Oriskaney,  where  jy^^ 
General  Herkimer,  who  had  come  to  the  relief  of  Ganesvoort  with  a  large  following 
of  frontiersmen,  fell  into  an  ambush  of  the  enemy.  The  brave  general  was  mortally 
wounded  early  in  the  engagement,  but  with  great  fortitude  continued  to  direct  the 
battle  and  succeeded  in  routing  the  British,  who,  however,  continued  to  maintain  the 
siege.  After  some  weeks  ineffectually  spent,  they  were  frightened  into  a  precipitate 
retreat  by  news  of  the  approach  of  Arnold  with  reinforcements,  and  made  their  way 
to  Canada,  minus  everything  that  tended  to  impede  flight. 

Burgoyne,  experiencing  to  the  full  the  difficulties  imposed  by  Schuyler,  felt  the 
need  of  provisions,  and  detached  a  party  of  six  hundred,  under  Colonel  Baum,  to  raid 
the  country  in  what  is  now  Vermont,  and  capture  stores  held  at  Bennington.  This 
party  was  met  near  Bennington  by  the  farmers,  who  had  hastily  gathered  under 
General  Stark,  and  defeated  with  the  loss  of  their  baggage  and  artillery.  Another 
party  of  equal  numbers  which  had  been  sent  out  a  few  days  afterward  to  reinforce 
the  first,  came  up  a  few  hours  later  and  suffered  like  defeat.  More  than  half  the 
British  were  taken  prisoners,  and  upwards  of  two  hundred  killed,  leaving  but  a  third 
to  make  its  way  back  to  the  main  army.  These  misfortunes  were  rapidly  bringing 
Burgoyne  to  a  realization  of  the  doubtfulness  of  final  success,  which  success  would 
have  appeared  still  more  remote  could  he  have  known,  as  he  did  later,  that  Howe's 
orders  had  been  so  delayed  that  no  help  could  reach  him  from  that  quarter  in  season 
to  avail. 

The  American  victories  at  Oriskaney  and  Bennington  spread  confidence  through- 
out the  country,  and  troops  gathered  to  the  support  of  the  northern  army,  which 
Congress,  with  great  injustice  to  Schuyler,  now  placed  under  the  command  of 
General  Horatio  Gates,  a  soldier  much  inferior  to  the  former  in  ability  and  attain- 
ments. Gates  reaped  the  benefit  of  all  the  hard  work  done  by  Schuyler,  and  entered 
upon  his  command  under  most  favorable  conditions.  Burgoyne,  pressed  for  supplies 
and  threatened  in  his  rear  by  General  Lincoln — who  with  two  thousand  troops  was 
even  then  retaking  Ticonderoga — was  on  the  downward  slope  of  effectiveness,  while 
the  American  army  was  constantly  receiving  reinforcements,  —  among  which  were 
Morgan's  Virginia  riflemen  sent  by  Washington,  — and  with  Arnold  returned  from 
Fort  Stanwix,  was  daily  gaining  strength  and  courage,  and  numbered  about  three 
thousand  men  to  thirty-five  hundred  of  the  British.      Gates,  after  a  delay  of  several  i^y^ 

weeks,  established  himself  at  Bemis  Heights, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson,  and  awaited 
the  enemy.  They  arrived  on  September  nine- 
teenth, and  on  the  following  day  attacked  the 
Americans  in  their  full  strength.  Gates  proved 
utterly  inefficient,  watching  the  battle  from  the 
rear  without  taking  part  in  it,  and  the  conduct 
of  the  fight  devolved  upon  the  regimental  com- 
manders, among  whom  Arnold  was  the  dom- 
inant figure.      The  battle  continued  until  dark- 


N'e  w    Tor  k 


ilennington 


(i^or^i^nn 


nn 


@ld  Senate  f^oui^c 


ness,  when  the  Ameri- 
cans drew  off  to  their  in- 
trenchments,  leaving  the 
British  in  possession  of 
their  ground,  but  suffer- 
ing from  a  severe  repulse, 
their  loss  being  double 
that  of  the  Continentals. 
This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  end  with  Bur- 
goyne.  On  October 
seventh  he  made  another 
attempt  to  break  the 
American  lines,  taking 
fifteen  hundred  of  his  best 
troops;  but  his  columns 
were  stubbornly  met,  and 
finally,  with  Morgan,  Dearborn,  and  Arnold  leading,  the  Americans  routed  the 
British  and  drove  them  to  their  intrenched  camp,  where  the  fighting  was  continued 
until  stopped  by  darkness.  Arnold  was  on  the  field  without  authority,  he  having 
been  deprived  of  his  command  by  Gates,  but  was  unable  to  restrain  his  ardor,  and 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  old  division,  which  he  inspired  to  brilliant  service; 
he  was  badly  wounded  in  the  later  attack. 

The  British  were  now  in  a  desperate  situation;  beaten  and  hopeless  of  reinforce- 
ment they  sought  to  retreat  through  Saratoga,  but  found  themselves  surrounded  by 
the  gathering  Americans,  and  a  few  days  later  Burgoyne  gave  up  the  attempt  and 
opened  negotiations  for  surrender.  The  document  was  signed  October  sixteenth, 
and  by  it  an  army  of  nearly  six  thousand,  with  all  equipments,  was  turned  over  to 
Gates,  and  the  long-cherished  plan  to  control  the  line  from  Canada  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Hudson  came  finally  to  naught.  Clinton,  in  pursuance  of  belated  orders,  had 
started  to  Burgoyne's  assistance,  but  his  enthusiasm  waned  after  capturing  Forts  Mont- 
gomery and  Clinton,  and  contenting  himself  with  sending  a  detachment  to  raid  King- 
ston, which  was  burned  October  thirteenth,  he  returned  to  New  York,  leaving  the 
North,  when  rid  of  Burgoyne,  in  undisputed  possession  of  the  Americans.  News  of 
this  triumph  was  of  inestimable  help  to  the  American  cause  in  Europe,  and  created  a 
prestige  that  made  possible  the  French  Alliance. 

Washington,  though  not  active  in  this  northern  campaign,  was  none  the  less  a 
factor  in  its  success,  as  his  watchfulness  and  employment  of  Howe  and  his  army  in 
*777  the  Middle  South  was  largely  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  the  separation  of  the 
British  forces,  which  he  knew  to  be  essential  to  Ameri- 
can victory  on  the  Hudson.  While  Burgovne  was 
embarking,  with  so  much  6clat,  his  ill-fated  expedition, 
Washington,  who  had  removed  from  his  winter 
quarters  at  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  to  Middlebrook, 
was  endeavoring  to  check  Howe's  advance  without 
hazarding  his  small  army  in  open  battle.  Howe, 
tiring  of  these  tactics,  returned  to  New  York,  where. 


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r.'^H^SK2ji 


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on  July  twenty-third,  he  embarked  eighteen  thousand  men  with  a  view  of  reaching 
Philadelphia  by  water,  Washington  discovered  his  motive  and  immediately  marched 
his  troops  to  that  place,  hoping  to  reassure  the  people  before  engaging  the  enemy. 
His  army  in  point  of  effectiveness  numbered  about  ten  thousand,  though  in  actual 
numbers  several  thousand  more,  and  among  his  officers  was  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette, 
a  young  French  nobleman,  who,  filled  with  sympathy  and  enthusiasm  for  the  cause 
of  the  colonies,  had,  in  spite  of  the  disapproval  of  his  king,  reached  this  country  with 
Baron  de  Kalb,  a  German  veteran,  and  was  by  Congress  commissioned  Major- 
General.  Lafayette  endeared  himself  to  Washington  and  to  the  army,  and  became, 
next  to  Washington,  one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  the  war. 

Howe,  finding  the  Delaware  fortified  against  him,  entered  Chesapeake  Bay  and 
landed  his  army  at  Elkton,  Maryland,  about  fifty  miles  from  Philadelphia.  From 
this  point  he  marched  toward  the  city,  reaching  Chad's  Ford,  on  the  Brandywine — 
where  the  Americans  were  encamped  —  September  eleventh.  The  resulting  battle 
was  disastrous  to  the  patriots,  and  although  well  planned  and  bravely  fought,  ended 
at  night  in  their  retreat  to  Chester,  and  later  to  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia. 
Count  Pulaski,  a  Polish  volunteer,  distinguished  himself  in  this  action  and  was  sub- 
sequently commissioned  Brigadier  General  by  Congress,  in  recognition  of  his  gal- 
lantry. 

Washington,  though  defeated,  still  hoped  to  keep  the  British  from  Philadelphia, 
and  prepared  to  engage  them  again  near  Goshen,  but  was  prevented  by  a  severe 
storm,  and  was  then  forced  to  withdraw  to  Reading  to  protect  his  stores,  which  were 
threatened  by  the  enemy.  He  left  General  Wayne  with  fifteen  hundred  men  to 
check  the  advance  on  Philadelphia,  but  the  latter  was  surprised  by  a  midnight  attack 
and  driven  back  with  considerable  loss,  leaving  the  city  open  to   the  invaders,  who 


1777 


]9l^flatrfl|iibfa 


(g(0rj0i;»n 


■Etbcrt^ 


entered  September  twenty-sixth. 
Fearing  this  result.  Congress  had 
removed,  some  days  before,  to  Lan- 
caster, from  which  a  few  days  later 
'777  ^i^^MUl^i)  it  moved  to  York,  where  it  remained 

during  the  British  occupancy  of  the 
capital. 

The  danger  to  Reading  having 
passed,  Washington  resolved  on  an- 
other attack,  and  with  two  thousand 
five  hundred  reinforcements  he  en- 
gaged the  British  troops  stationed  at 
Germantown,  near  Philadelphia; 
but  through  the  failure  of  militia  on 
which  he  relied,  the  effort  was  de- 
feated after  a  severe  struggle,  in 
which  the  American  loss  was  heavy. 
Forts  Mifflin  and  Mercer,  the  for- 
mer on  Mud  Island,  in  the  Dela- 
ware, and  the  latter  at  Red  Bank, 
New  Jersey,  were  still  held  by  the 
Americans,  who  had  established 
them  to  protect  Philadelphia  from 
naval  attack.  These  the  British  as- 
saulted with  the  aid  of  the  fleet  from  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  after  a  determined 
but  hopeless  resistance  the  Americans  were  forced  to  evacuate,  November  eighteenth, 
leaving  the  harbor  unobstructed  for  the  passage  of  British  ships.  To  close  a  season 
disastrous  in  its  immediate  results,  Washington,  early  in  December,  went  into  win- 
ter quarters  at  Valley  Forge,  on  the  Schuylkill,  and  struggled  to  maintain  the  organ- 
ization of  his  army  under  conditions  which  would  have  been  insurmountable  to 
another  general,  or  with  an  army  striving  for  a  lesser  end. 

The  cause  of  independence  experienced  its  darkest  days  in  that  memorable  camp. 
Thousands  of  men  were  unable  to  leave  the  rude  huts  they  had  built  for  shelter,  for 
■'^777  lack  of  clothing  to  cover  them;  they  were  reduced  to  the  barest  extremity  for  food, 
and  yet  their  patriotism  and  faith  in  their  commander  triumphed  over  these  miseries 
and  sustained  them  until  spring,  when  a  turn  of  fortune  brought  once  more  the  neces- 
saries of  life  and  comfortable  equipment.  During  the  long  winter,  Washington 
suffered  not  only  the  anguish  of  sympathy  for  his  starving  troops,  but  from  the  ma- 
chinations of  envious  and  disgruntled  subordinates,  and  the  criticism  of  some  of  the 
leaders  in  Congress.  It  was  hoped,  by  a  considerable  faction,  to  supersede  Wash- 
ington by  Gates  —  the  latter's  victory  over  Bur- 
goyne  being  contrasted  with  Washington's  cam- 
paign about  Philadelphia  —  and  sufficient  support 
was  obtained  to  secure  control  of  the  Board  of 
War,  which,  with  Gates  at  the  head,  was  a 
source  of  annoyance  and  affront  to  Washington, 
while  it  utterly  failed  in  its  duties  of  providing  for 
the  army. 

D  el  aw  are 


TaUes  iFovflr 


^ecrfiian 


23 


While  these  conditions  existed  at  the  seat  of  war,  forces  were  elsewhere  working 
for  speedy  and  permanent  improvement.  The  King  of  France,  overborne  by  his 
ministers,  had  signed  early  in  February  a  treaty  of  alliance  and  commerce,  acknowl- 
edging the  independence  of  the  American  Colonies.  This  meant  money  and  ships 
and  ready  supplies,  besides  establishing  the  United  States  on  a  recognized  footing  at 
the  capitals  of  Europe.  The  victory  at  Saratoga,  which  had  encouraged  France  to 
this  action,  had  startled  England  into  a  belated  concession  of  privileges,  which  a  peace 
commission  was  sent  over  to  propose;  but  the  time  for  such  measures  was  past  and 
they  were  rejected  by  Congress,  which  declared  that  no  proposals  would  be  enter- 
tained except  on  a  basis  of  complete  independence  and  the  withdrawal  of  British 
troops.  This,  of  course,  was  not  contemplated,  and  the  commission  ingloriously  re- 
turned. The  action  of  France  was  regarded  by  England  as  a  declaration  of  war,  and 
preparations  were  made  for  strengthening  the  situation  of  the  troops  in  America. 
General  Howe,  who,  it  was  realized,  had  done  nothing  more  than  seize  upon  com- 
fortable winter  quarters  for  his  army,  was  recalled  and  superseded  by  General 
Clinton.  Philadelphia  being  of  no  military  value  to  the  British  without  a  line  of 
communication  with  the  main  army  at  New  York,  it  was  decided  to  abandon  it  ere 
the  French  fleet  could  come  to  the  assistance  of  Washington's  army  and  force  the 
evacuation.  In  pursuance  of  these  orders  Clinton,  who  had  assumed  command  the 
latter  part  of  May,  so  hastened  preparations  that  on  June  eighteenth  he  left  the  city 
and  started  his  army  across  New  Jersey. 

Washington,  whose  patience  and  endurance  the  winter  had  so  severely  tried,  was 
now  well  equipped,  thanks  to  the  efforts  of  Greene,  who  in  March,  as  quartermaster- 
general,  succeeded  the  incompetent  Board  of  War  ;  the  spring  levies  had  filled  his 
ranks,  and  best  of  all,  his  army,  which  had  been  drilled  all  winter  by  Baron  Steuben 
—  a  distinguished  Prussian  officer  —  was  now  for  the  first  time  in  perfect  training. 
Under  such  gratifying  conditions  it  is  not  strange  that  Washington  wished  to  inter- 
cept    Clinton    and 

Pittsburg  ^a. 


match  his  strength 
against  the  British ; 
but  a  council  of  his 
ofiicers  by  their  dis- 
approval so  delayed 
him,  that,  though 
he  finally  overruled 
their  decision,  Clin- 
ton was  then  so  far 
advanced  that  to 
overtake  him  re- 
quired extraordin- 
ary effort,  and 
forced  the  troops  to 
a  fatiguing  march, 
which  at  the  last 
became  so  hurried 
that  many  threw 
away    their    knap- 


177S 


Ef^t  jfvtnti^   Ulliuntt 


(gjeorjetian 


sacks  in  their  desire  to  reach  the  enemy. 
The  British  were  advised  of  Washing- 
ton's approach,  and  though  numbering 
seventeen  thousand,  were  headed  for  the 
coast  by  the  most  direct  route,  their 
march  fast  becoming  flight  under  the 
'77°       '■-.  t I^^^^rJ^^x&mtW^^^^^.      I    '  vexations    of  climate   and   the    harassing 

attacks  of  the  New  Jersey  militia.  On 
the  twenty-sixth  of  June  they  encamped 
at  Monmouth  Court  House  with  Wash- 
ington but  a  few  miles  behind,  and  a  de- 
tachment under  Lee,  which  had  been  sent 
in  advance,  within  striking  distance.  The 
latter,  Washington  ordered  to  attack  as 
soon  as  the  enemy  should  resume  the 
march  in  the  morning,  promising  sup- 
port as  soon  as  he  could  come  up.  Lee, 
an  Englishman  who  had  been  a  source 
of  trouble  to  Washington  all  through  the 
war,  was  impressed  with  Clinton's  in- 
vincibility, and  fearing  to  engage  him, 
contented  himself  with  unimportant  man- 
ceuvers,  until  Clinton,  seeing  his  oppor- 
tunity, charged,  and  had  started  the 
Americans  in  retreat  when  Washington, 
whom  the  incredible  news  found  strain- 
ing every  nerve  to  reach  the  field  of  battle, 
galloped  on  the  scene,  and  overcome  with 
rage,  demanded  of  Lee  an  explanation  of 
his  course.  This  Lee  was  unable  to 
p'we,  and  ordering  him  to  the  rear,  where 
t..e  next  day  he  was  court-martialed  and 
suspended  from  his  command,  Washington  rallied  the  troops,  that  had  failed  wholly  from 
the  lack  of  efficient  ordering,  and  with  the  arrival  of  the  main  army  recovered  the 
ground  and  drove  the  British  in  retreat.  Under  the  cover  of  the  night  the  retreat  was 
kept  up,  and  Clinton  succeeded  in  reaching  the  coast  and  embarking  before  the  Ameri- 
^77^  cans  could  again  come  up  with  him.  His  army  was  reduced  by  two  thousand,  in  the 
march  and  battle,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  incompetence  of  Lee,  would  have  been 
utterly  destroyed.  As  it  was,  he  was  beaten,  and  the  campaign  which  Washington  had 
lost  at  Brandy  wine  and  Germantown,  was  redeemed  at  Monmouth.  An  incident  of  this 
battle  was  the  bravery  of  Molly  Pitcher,  the  wife  of  an  American  artilleryman. 
She  was  bringing  water  to  her  husband  when  she  saw  him  fall,  and  heard  an  order  for 
withdrawing  his  gun  ;  determined  that  it  should  not  be  silenced,  she  took  his  place 
and  served  the  gun  throughout  the  fight.  In  recognition  of  her  patriotism  Washington 
appointed  her  a  sergeant  in  the  army,  where  she  became  widely  known  and  popular. 
During  the  summer  of  1778  the  war  made  little  progress,  so  far  as  the  main 
armies  were  concerned.      The  British  were  now  confined  to  New  York,  with  an  out- 


^  I)  i  I  a  ti  c  I 


}j  1)  i  a  , 


can    flag    inaj^    ma^^ 


iHonmoutiy 


^toT^imi 


25 


post  at  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  and  evinced  little  inclination  for  aggressive  measures. 
Early  in  July  the  French  fleet,  under  Count  d'  Estaing,  appeared  off  Sandy  Hook,  but 
owing  to  their  greater  draught  were  unable  to  approach  the  British  fleet.  In  lieu  of 
this,  a  plan  was  arranged  for  destroying,  in  conjunction  with  a  land  force,  the  British 
garrison  and  ships  at  Newport.  D' Estaing  arrived  therewith  his  fleet  August  eighth, 
and  his  presence  with  the  forces  under  Sullivan,  Greene,  and  Lafayette  caused 
the  British  to  destroy  their  men-of-war  and  other  vessels  in  the  harbor.  While 
preparations  for  the  attack  were  being  made,  a  British  squadron  appeared,  and  the 
French  went  outside  to  engage  it,  but  a  very  severe  storm  arose  and  scattered  the 
fleets,  injuring  the  vessels  so  that  the  British  were  forced  to  return  to  New  York,  and 
the  French  went  to  Boston,  to  refit.  Upon  this  the  land  forces,  which  also  suffered 
from  the  storm,  were  obliged  to  withdraw  without  accomplishing  their  purpose, 
though  a  sharp  engagement  took  place  between  four  thousand  reinforcements,  which 
Clinton  had  brought  from  New  York,  and  a  division  under  Green,  in  which  the 
British  were  repulsed.  Clinton  occupied  himself  in  ravaging  the  surrounding  country 
and  burning  shipping  at  New  Bedford,  returning  to  New  York  soon  afterward  and 
subsequently  abandoning  Newport. 

One  of  the  particularly  disturbing  features  of  the  summer  were  the  Indian 
raids,  made  at  the  instigation  of  British  agents  and  participated  in  by  many  Tories. 
Wyoming,  Pennsylvania,  and  Cherry  Valley,  New  York,  suffered  frightfully  in 
this  way,  hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children  falling  victims  to  the  tomahawk, 
while  in  many  instances  the  torture  was  much  more  severe.  Further  west  the  British 
had  seized  old  French  trading  posts  and  garrisoned  them  with  regulars  and  Indians,  to 
ensure  the  unlimited  extension  of  British  territory  when  the  victory  should  be  won. 
They  also  sought  to  uproot  the  settlement  in  what  is  now  Kentucky,  but  were 
tenaciously    resisted    by     the  hardy    pioneers    under    the    lead    of  Boone,    Logan, 

Kenton,  and  other  intrepid  woodsmen. 

Among  these  was  one  who  realized  the 
value  of  the  outposts  that  the  British  had 
seized,  and  determined  that  the  vast  terri- 
tory dominated  by  them  should  be  held  by 
Americans.  Kaskaskia,  Vincennes,  and 
Cahokia,  in  the  Illinois  country,  were  the 


Pennsylvania 


J778 


:KeiDpotrt 


(St0rfli»n 


i^l.^,.«vW^;v;;;'.i■ ■  .•-'■■■■     '• 

coveted  settlements,  and  George  Rogers  Clark,  a  native  of  Virginia,  the  far-seeing 
frontiersman  who  set  out  to  take  them  with  less  than  two  hundred  men,  raised  by  his 
personal  efforts  under  the  authority  of  Governor  Patrick  Henry  of  Virginia. '  Over- 
coming all  obstacles,  they  reached  Kaskaskia  on  the  evening  of  July  fourth,  and  Clark 
by  skillful  manoeuvers  took  the  garrison  completely  by  surprise,  and  overpowering  the 
guards,  compelled  the  surrender  of  forces  two  or  three  times  greater  in  number  than 
1778  his  own.  Vincennes  and  Cahokia  followed  with  little  trouble,  but  the  difficulty  was 
to  hold  the  posts  with  his  small  following,  of  which  many  of  the  men  were  anxious 
to  return  to  their  homes.  At  this  time  the  British  arrived  with  a  strong  force  and 
retook  Vincennes,  but  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  season  hesitated  about  attacking 
Kaskaskia,  held  by  Clark  with  the  main  body  of  his  command.  Neither  the  season 
nor  the  condition  of  the  country  had  any  terrors  for  Clark,  and  getting  together  one 
hundred  and  seventy  men  who  could  be  depended  upon,  they  started  for  Vincennes 
early  in  February,  undertaking  fearlessly  a  journey  of  over  two  hundred  miles,  in  which 
they  experienced  hardships  of  everv  kind,  including  hunger,  and  a  march  through  miles 
of  icy  water,  waist  high,  but,  in  spite  of  these,  arrived  at  their  destination  on  the 
twenty-second  of  the  month,  and  after  a  short  fight  forced  the  fort  to  again  surrender. 

The  importance  of  this  exploit  was  far-reaching,  as  it  not  only  secured  to  the 
United  States  vast  territory  in  the  West,  but  it  broke,  from  that  time,  the  alliance 
with  the  Indians,  which  the  British  had  created  with  difficulty,  and  upon  which  they 
largely  depended. 

The  British,  from  their  only  stronghold.  New  York,  kept  up  their  devastating 
raids  on  the  surrounding  cour  try,  descending  early  in  September  on  Buzzards  Bav, 
where  they  destroyed  shipping  and  privateers  to  the  number  of  seventy  sail,  continu- 


JHafot  eiavlfe'fii  IBvPtXiition 


(iieorttiitn 


ing  through  New  Bedford  and  Fairhaven  the  pillage  and  destruction,  and  finally  re- 
turning to  New  York  with  a  large  number  of  cattle  and  sheep  captured  at  Martha's 
Vineyard.  On  the  thirtieth  of  the  same  month  they  sailed  to  Little  Egg  Harbor, 
New  Jersey,  where  they  captured  a  considerable  quantity  of  American  stores. 

This  employment  of  his  army,  while  perhaps  a  degree  more  creditable  than  ab- 
solute inaction,  would  never  win  for  Clinton  the  control  of  America;  and  having  -^jS 
tried  and  failed  in  successive  attempts  to  hold  the  Northern  and  Middle  States,  the 
British  turned  again  to  the  South,  as  offering  the  only  remaining  opportunity  for  lasting 
victory.  Driven  out  of  Boston,  defeated  and  destroyed  on  the  Hudson,  balked  at 
Philadelphia,  and  menaced  at  New  York,  they  with  some  reasonableness  hoped,  by 
gaining  a  foothold  in  a  thinly  populated  country,  where  loyalism  was  undoubtedly 
stronger,  to  extend  operations  on  a  permanent  basis  until  they  could  unite  with  the 
Northern  forces.  The  South,  unmolested  since  Clinton  and  Parker's  inglorious  at- 
tack on  Charleston,  was  unprepared  for  resistance  and  was  divided  by  party  differ- 
ences that  under  the  strain  of  war  developed  into  serious  civil  conflict. 

To  this  promising  field,  then, Clinton  turned  his  attention,  with  immediate  results 
that  seemed  to  fully  justify  his  deductions,  and  warranted  confidence  in  the  success  of 
his  ultimate  plan.  A  partially  successful  raid  under  General  Provost  came  out  of 
Florida  and  pillaged  the  coast  towns  of  Georgia,  but  the  first  important  move  was 
against  Savannah.  On  the  twenty-ninth  of  December,  Colonel  Campbell  landed 
with  an  army  of  three  thousand  and  attacked  the  city,  which  was  defended  by  Gen- 
eral Robert  Howe  with  less  than  a  thousand  men,  and  those  without  experience  in 
action.  The  British  were  easily  victorious,  and  completely  scattered  the  opposing 
force,  taking  some  five  hundred  prisoners  and  capturing  valuable  stores.  Following 
this.  Provost  returned  and  captured  Sunbury,  which  had  repulsed  his  first  raid,  and 
Campbell  with  a  division  of  his  troops  advanced  successfully  on  Augusta.  Thus 
Georgia,  the  last  to  renounce  the  royal  authority,  was  the  first  to  again  feel  its  yoke, 
the  British  being  now  in  virtual  possession  of  the  State. 

General  Benjamin  Lincoln  was  sent  by  Congress  to  command   the   Southern  de- 
partment, but  met  with  little  success.      He   succeeded  in   raising   a  small    army,  but      779 
attempting  prematurely  to  recover  Augusta  and  Savannah,  his  force  was  seriously  re- 
duced   without  the   attainment  of  his  object,  and  he  was  obliged  to  retire  to  the  hills 


smfiitf  '^^w 


nxit   ^vunlrd    Co.    JWatfflan^ 


STl^r  WiViX  fn  X\^t  .Sotttlj 


C||]e0rjs%»n 


with  but  a  handful  of  men,  leaving  the  British  in  full  possession  of  Georgia.  The 
direct  results  of  his  campaign  were  the  gallant  repulse  of  the  British  at  Fort  Royal  by 
General  Moultrie,  the  defeat  and  dispersal  at  Kettle  Creek  of  a  band  of  seven  hun- 
dred Tories  under  Colonel  Boyd,  who  was  shot  in  the  engagement,  and  the  preser- 
■^779  vation  of  Charleston,  which  Provost  had  set  out  to  attack,  but  from  which  he  was 
compelled  by  Lincoln's  advance  to  withdraw. 

Encouraged  by  their  progress  in   the   South,    the    British  resumed  with    greater 
boldness  their  periodic  raids  in  the  North.      Under  Sir  George  Collier  and  General 


Matthews  they  entered  Hampton  Roads,  May  ninth,  ravaging  Norfolk  and  Ports- 
mouth, and  then  sailed  for  New  York,  where  they  assisted  Clinton  in  capturing  the 
^77'?  unfinished  fortifications  at  Stony  Point,  by  which  the  Americans  had  hoped  to  control 
King's  Ferry.  An  expedition  had  been  sent  against  West  Greenwich,  Connecticut, 
the  previous  March,  which  is  memorable  chiefly  on  account  of  General  Putnam's 
bold  escape  from  what  seemed  certain  capture.  He  had  rallied  a  company  to  oppose 
the  British,  who  were  on  their  way  to  destroy  the  salt-works  at  Horse  Neck,  but 
was  unable  to  offer  effective  resistance  to  the  fifteen  hundred  invaders,  and  his  men 
were  soon  dispersed.  Putnam  sought  to  reach  Stamford,  but  was  pursued  by  the 
British,  who  were  fast  gaining  on  him,  when  he  turned  his  horse  over  the  edge  of  a 
steep,    rocky   bluff  and    rode    safely    to   the   bottom,  leaving  his  astonished  pursuers 


^tntval  ^utnam^u  ISiiXft 


(Ktortniistn. 


daunted  and  baffled  at  the  top.  An- 
other   expedition,    under    Governor 

Try  on,  left  New  York  for  Connecticut         ^^^^^'^^    -*^^y^^£.^^^^^^^^^  ■'779 

early  in  July,  and  sailing  along  the  coast 
plundered  New  Haven,  East  Haven, 
Fairfield  and  Norwalk,  which  latter 
place  was  also  burned. 

These  measures  were  met  by  the 
Americans  with  movements  against 
Stony  Point  and  Verplank's  Point,  and 
later  against  the  British  garrison  at 
Paulus  Hook.  These  were  not  wholly 
retaliatory,  as  Washington  feared  from 
the  capture  of  Stony  Point  the  exten- 
sion of  British  occupation  through  a 
series  of  such  posts,  which  would  ac- 
complish all  that  was  striven  for  in  Bur- 
goyne's  campaign,  and  cut  off  his  army 
and  the  Southern  states  from  the  recruits 
and  supplies  so  generously  furnished  by 
New  England.  He  therefore  deter- 
mined to  retake  the  fort  at  once,  and 
entrusted  the  work  to  General  Wayne, 
one  of  his  most  intrepid  aids.  General 
Wayne  with  a  few  hundred  men  reached 
the  precipitous  slopes  in  the  rear  of  the 
fort  on  the  evening  of  July  sixteenth, 
and  in  a  dashing  assault,  upon  which  the 
heavy  fire  of  the  garrison  made  no  im- 
pression, they  mounted  the  breast-works  and  compelled  a  speedy  surrender.  Nearly 
five  hundred  prisoners  were  taken,  and  guns  and  munitions  of  great  value  captured. 
After  training  the  guns  of  the  fort  on  Verplank's  Point,  opposite,  and  compelling 
its  evacuation,  the  Americans  leveled  the  works  and  returned  to  the  main  army. 
Their  achievement  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  the  war. 

Paulus  Hook,  now  the  site  of  a  part  of  Jersey  City,  was  one  of  the  strongest 
natural  positions  held  by  the  British;  nearly  surrounded  by  water,  it  was  approach-    lyjg 
able  only  by  the  post  road,  of  which  it  originally  formed  the  terminus  and  landing 
place  of  the  ferry  from  New  York.      Major  Harry  Lee  undertook  the  capture,  and 

surprised  it  early  on  the  morning  of  August  nine- 
teenth. The  British  had  little  time  for  resistance 
before  they  were  overpowered  by  the  attacking 
party,  which  secured  upwards  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  prisoners  —  a  number  greater  than  that 
of  the  Americans  —  and  quickly  withdrew,  lest 
the  alarm  spread  to  the  main  body  of  the  enemy 
and  retreat  be  cut  off. 

Another  under  tailing,  though  carefully  planned 


SDooriuap    l^artuooli 


Mar y  la  nd 


.Stoni?  Dofnt 


^fijti^firofiatt 


'779 


<^:^- 


^  o  u  n  t 


'         •«■»!•:<•:.'•'"   •       iv...,..-' 

^  e  \"  n  0  n 


and  fitted  out  at  great 
expense,  met  with  dis- 
aster and  utterly  failed. 
This  was  the  expedition 
against  the  British  post 
at  Castine,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Penobscot 
River,  organized  in 
Massachusetts,  in  which 
thirty-seven  vessels  were 
engaged,  and  had  en- 
tered the  river,  when, 
on  August  thirteenth, 
they  were  herrmed  in 
by  a  British  fleet  of  su- 
perior force  which  sud- 
denly appeared.  The  Americans,  rather  than  see  their  ships  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
British,  beached  and  burned  them,  making  their  way  back  to  Boston  overland. 

The  American  navv,  from  the  poverty  ot  national  resources  an  inconsiderable 
power  heretofore,  received  at  this  time  a  memorable  accession  in  the  fleet  under  John 
Paul  Jones,  fitted  out  at  L' Orient,  France,  by  the  American  and  French  govern- 
ments. Jones,  by  birth  a  Scotchman,  had  already  shown  high  ability  in  the  service 
of  America,  and  when,  after  manv  tedious  disappointments,  he  found  himself  in 
command  of  an  effective  if  not  powerful  fleet,  he  lost  no  time  in  making  his  presence 
felt  among  the  shipping  of  Great  Britain.  He  intercepted  and  captured  many 
merchant  vessels,  in  some  cases  boldly  entering  harbors  to  destroy  them,  and  spread 
terror  of  his  name  throughout  the  British  Isles.  These  exploits,  while  of  importance 
in  a  scheme  of  warfire,  were  far  from  sufficient  to  the  aggressive  character  of  Jones, 
and  he  eagerly  sought  an  encounter  with  armed  vessels,  though  the  conditions  might 
apparently  be  against  him.  Such  an  opportunity  came  to  him  off  Flamborough  Head, 
September  twenty-third,  when  he  overtook  two  British  ships  of  war,  the  Serapis  and 
Countess  of  Scarborough,  convoying  a  large  fleet  of  merchantmen.  Jones  com- 
manded the  Bonhomme  Richard,  his  flagship,  and  had  with  him  but  two  other 
'779  vessels  of  his  squadron,  the  Alliance  and  Pallas,  the  others  having  been  lost  sight 
of  in  a  gale.  The  British  ships  were  greatly  superior  in  size  and  armament,  the 
Serapis  being  the  larger,  and  a  much  newer  and  stouter  vessel  than  the  Bonhomme 
Richard,  with  which  she  engaged.  The  Countess  of  Scarborough  soon  struck  to  her 
opponents,  the  Alliance  and  Pallas,  and  the  three  remained  in  a  group  apart,  leaving 
the  two  larger  vessels  to  struggle  for  mastery.  The 
battle  that  ensued  is  renowned  in  history  as  an  example 
of  the  triumph  of  personal  invincibility  in  the  face  of 
apparent  ruin. 

The  Bonhomme  Richard  and  the  Serapis  fought  at 
close  range  until  both  were  badly  battered  and  pierced, 
and  then,  grappled  together,  the  guns  of  each  touching 
the  other's  side,  they  continued  their  fearful  work  of  car- 
nage and  destruction.      On  several  occasions  the  Richard 


€ommo0ovr 
Sotjn  iJaul  Sontfis 


IV  a sh  in  gt  on' 
Coat    of   Arm  . 


f<S]fi*rdfi»n 


^   0 


tt  n 


'779 


y^i\  •■ 


was  reported  to  be 
sinking,  but  by  ex- 
traordinary effort 
was  kept  afloat, 
and  at  last  Pear- 
son, the  captain 
of  the  Serapis, 
yielded  to  his  an- 
tagonist at  a  mo- 
ment when,  as  far 
as  material  evi- 
dence was  credi- 
ble, the  vie  tor y 
might  well  have 
been  his  own. 
The  Alliance, 
which  should  have 
helped  the  Rich- 
ard,   remained 

aloof  during  the  greater  part  of  the  engagement,  and  when  at  last  she  came  up, 
nearly  ruined  Jones's  chance  by  firing  broadsides  which  swept  the  deck  of  the  Richard. 
This  action  was  excused  on  the  ground  of  mistaken  identity,  but  Landais'  jealousy 
of  Jones  and  his  restiveness  under  the  latter' s  superior  authority,  give  color  to  a  pre- 
sumption of  traitorous  intent,  and  he  was  soon  afterwards  dismissed  from  the  navy. 
The  prizes  were  taken  to  Holland,  and  Jones,  after  a  short  stay  in  Paris,  where  his 
achievement  was  enthusiastically  honored,  returned  to  America,  and  received  the 
thanks  of  Congress  for  his  eminent  services. 

While  Jones  was  receiving  his  vessels  from  France,  the  French  fleet  under  D'Es- 
taing,  which  had  been  cruising  in  West  Indian  waters,  suddenly  returned  to  the 
coast  and  captured  four  British  men-of-war  at  Savannah.  The  French  commander 
resolved  to  follow  up  this  victory  by  recovering  the  town,  and  sought  the  help  of  the 
militia  in  the  undertaking.  Several  weeks  elapsed  before  the  South  Carolinians  with 
Lincoln,  who  came  to  their  aid,  could  complete  an  effective  organization,  and  in  this 
time  the  British  had  received  reinforcements  and  erected  formidable  defences.  D'Es- 
taing,  chafing  under  the  delay,  demanded  an  immediate  attack,  and  on  October  ninth, 
the  allies  gallantly  assaulted  the  works  and  succeeded  in  planting  the  flags  of  America 
and  France  on  the  ramparts,  but  they  could  not  maintain  their  position,  and  finally 
were  repulsed  with  great  loss.  The  brave  Pulaski  was  killed  in  this  action,  as  was 
Sergeant  Jasper,  the  hero  of  Fort  Moultrie;  and  Count  d'Estaing,  who  led  his  troops 
in  person,  was  severely  wounded.  The  French  fleet  put  to  sea,  and  Lincoln,  with 
about  two  thousand  men,  withdrew  to  Charleston,  where  the  people,  desirous  of  pro- 
tection, urged  them  to  remain. 

The  British,  encouraged  by  their  victory,  appeared  off  the  coast  of  Georgia  early 
in  1780  with  a  fleet  under  Admiral  Arbuthnot,  bringing  Clinton  and  eight  thousand    '7^° 
men,  who  were  placed  in  commanding  positions  about  Charleston,  where  they  were 
joined    by    Cornwallis    with    troops    to    the    number    of  three    thousand.      General 
Lincoln,  who  had  remained  in  the  city,  had  been  reinforced  by  a  considerable  body 


^abiinnat) 


#iK^rtfV'rtf't5*'Mf 


1780 


of  Virginia  veterans,  but  his  forces  could 
offer  no  eifective  resistance  to  an  army 
numbering  four  to  his  one.  Aided  by 
the  fleet,  which  ran  Fort  Moultrie 
without  difficulty,  the  British  instituted 
an  aggressive  siege  which  resulted  in  the 
capitulation  of  the  city  on  May  twelfth  ; 
General  Lincoln  and  all  his  men  were 
taken  prisoners. 

With  the  loss  of  the  last  remnant  of 
Lincoln's  army,  organized  defense  was 
obliterated  in  the  South.  The  British 
spread  over  and  devastated  South  Caro- 
lina as  they  did  before  in  Georgia, 
plundering  all  not  avowedly  loyal,  and 
committing  outrages  calculated  to  embit- 
ter the  patriots  and  strengthen  them  in 
their  later  resistance. 

A  detachment  of  two  thousand  men 
under  DeKalb  had  been  sent  South  to 
augment  the  forces  there,  and  this  was 
now  utilized  as  a  nucleus  of  a  new  army. 
As  many  more  were  soon  added  by 
enlistment  and  the  accession  of  isolated 
bands,  and  Gates,  in  whom  Congress  had  great  confidence,  based  on  a  misconception 
of  his  part  in  the  capture  of  Burgoyne,  was  sent,  against  the  judgment  of  Washington, 
to  take  command.  Under  conservative  leadership  this  army  would  have  grown  and 
developed  into  an  effective  force,  but  without  waiting  for  these  processes,  and  appar- 
ently without  consideration  of  its  weakness.  Gates  led  it  to  Camden,  then  an  import- 
ant center  for  the  British.  The  despair  resulting  from  the  loss  of  Savannah  and 
Charleston  had  been  broken  by  minor  though  brilliant  successes  at  Fishing  Creek  and 
Hanging  Rock,  and  the  patriots  rallying  under  Marion,  Sumter,  and  Pickens  were 
harassing  the  British  with  a  partisan  warfare  destructive  of  their  sense  of  security, 
'780  though  lacking  in  effective  organization.  These  leaders  joined  forces  with  Gates  ; 
but  they  added  nothing  to  the  strength  of  the  attack  on  Camden,  as  both  Marion 
and  Sumter  were  detached  for  special  operations,  the  latter  taking  four  hundred  of 
the  best  troops  in  addition  to  his  own. 

The  British  under  Lord  Rawdon,  knowing  of  Gates'  advance,  set  out  to  intercept 
and  surprise  him,  and  on  August  sixteenth,  the  armies  came  suddenly  together,  neither 
being  aware  of  the  proximity  of  the  other.  A  battle 
was  immediately  ordered,  and  a  line  of  militia,  never 
before  under  fire,  was  marched  in  the  first  charge 
against  the  perfectly  drilled  regulars  of  the  British. 
The  natural  result  was,  that  the  Americans,  frightened 
by  the  solid  fire  of  the  enemy,  broke  and  fled,  leaving 
to  DeKalb  and  his  Continentals  the  whole  burden  of 
resistance.      The  latter  fought  with  remarkable  cour- 


JWount   Ttrnon 


General   ^^it% 
in   tfie  Sotitii 


ir  gtnta 


iiS.^r%T^ttiyk 


'^'^^ 


(Dltr   IB  ntv  ^ntt 

Mount   T tvnon 


age,  but  they  were  hope- 
lessly outnumbered,  and, 
after  losing  eight  hundred 

men,   including  DeKalb,  ''.-•'  .'i^li^}i^^^^^^)i^-^^-3^^i^^^i^^S^Jli^li^^^'^i  ^7^^ 

were  obliged  to  retreat 
and  save  themselves  as 
best  they  could.  Sum- 
ter's detachment,  which 
had  captured  the  British 
wagon  train,  was  over- 
taken by  Tarleton  and 
routed  with  the  loss  of  half 
its  men,  killed  or  captured. 
The  re-formed  southern 
army,  barely  started  in  its 
mission,  was  thus  effec- 
tually scattered,  and  once 
more  the  British  were  free 
to  extend  their  lines  and 
prosecute  their  plan  of 
northward  conquest. 

This  immunity  was  of  short  duration,  however,  the  rigorous  measures  adopted  by 
Cornwallis  quickly  bearing  fruit  in  an  uprising  fatal  to  British  supremacy.  Wishing 
to  free  himself  from  the  annoyance  of  local  attacks,  Cornwallis  sent  a  division  under 
Colonel  Ferguson  to  range  the  western  borders  of  the  Carolinas  and  intimidate  the 
inhabitants.  The  threats  of  the  invaders  roused  the  mountaineers,  who  had  hitherto 
contented  themselves  with  repressing  Indian  aggression,  and  gathering  under  favorite 
leaders,  they  assembled  on  the  Watuga,  late  in  September,  to  the  number  of  nearly 
twelve  hundred.  They  chose  Colonel  Campbell — -leader  of  the  Virginians  —  chief 
commander,  and  under  his  direction  were  more  closely  united  and  instructed  in 
methods  of  attack.  They  were  later  joined  by  upwards  of  three  hundred  from  North 
Carolina,  and  started  to  crush  the  detachment  under  Ferguson.  The  British  coni^ 
mander  had  word  of  their  coming,  and  undertook  to  elude  them  ;  but  being  unsuc- 
cessful in  this,  took  up  a  strong  position  on  Kings'  Mountain  and  awaited  the  con- 
flict. To  shorten  the  pursuit  the  backwoodsmen  had  divided  their  force,  the  pick  of 
men  and  horses  to  the  number  of  seven  hundred  entering  on  a  forced  march,  leaving 
the  rest  to  come  up  as  they  could.  Riding  night  and  day  in  their  impatience  to  at- 
tain their  object,  the  Americans  arrived  in  the  vicinitv  of  the  British  camp  on  the  j^g^ 
morning  of  October  seventh,  and  immediately  arranged  the  attack.  The  British  had 
more  men,  and  a  strong  position  on  the  top  of  a  wooded  hill  ;  but  every  man  in  the 
attacking  force  was  a  trained  Indian  fighter  and  thoroughly  at  home  in  such  a  situ- 
ation. They  charged  from  opposite  sides  of  the  hill,  and  a  repulse  on  one  side  was 
immediately  followed  by  an  assault  on  the  other,  thus  keeping  the  British  in  constant 
motion,  and  gradually  reducing  the  intervening  space,  until  arriving  at  the  top  they 
surrounded  and  overpowered  the  enemv,  forcing  unconditional  surrender.  Ferguson 
and  fully  one-third  of  his  men  were  killed,  and  the  victors  secured  a  large  store  of 
arms  and  ammunition,  the  lack  of  which  was  everywhere  a  serious  hindrance  to  the 
struggling  patriots. 


I^in0\(5  ^^t^xxni^n 


/iK  i>  rtf 'v^  rtf  Y  wvfe 


(tl^Qttt^n    STa^trn 


III 


The  tide  of  war  thus  ebbing  and  flowing,  rose  perceptibly  for  the  Americans  from 
this  time,  the  people,  encouraged  by  the  destruction  of  the  merciless  foe  that  dom- 
inated the  frontier,  rising  in  scattered  bands  to  pick  off  isolated  British  posts  and  even 
driving  the  main  army  to  seek  security  nearer  the  sea-coast.  Marion  and  Sumter  ap- 
peared in  unexpected  quarters,  cutting  off  supplies  and  routing  loyalist  militia,  leading 
Tarleton  hither  and  thither  in  futile  attempts  to  reach  them.  He  finally  came  up 
with  Sumter  at  Blackstocks  and  was  severely  repulsed.  The  British,  once  more  on 
/7c?r  the  defensive,  were  checked  in  their  northward  march,  and  all  that  was  needed  to 
permanentlv  cripple  them  was  an  organized  army  to  which  the  roving  bands  could 
rally.  This  Congress  undertook,  for  the  third  time,  to  supply  ;  but  depleted  ranks 
and  bankrupt  finances  were  conditions  not  lightly  subjected,  and  Greene,  whom 
Washington  was  privileged  to  appoint  to  this  command,  could  obtain  but  little  in 
material  equipment,  either  of  men  or  outfittings,  and  was  obliged  to  depend  on  ap- 
peals to  the  Southern  States,  backed  by  recommendations  of  the  central  government. 
In  some  aspects  Greene's  expedition  was  in  the  nature  of  a  forlorn  hope.  Two 
armies  had  been  sacrificed  in  the  same  cause,  exhausting  the  resources  of  the  northern 
division,  which  could  now  spare  but  a  mere  body-guard  to  the  departing  general. 
Disaffection  was  rit'e  in  the  Confinental  army  on  account  of  the  worthlessness  of  the 
currency  with  which  it  was  paid,  and  enlistments  were  correspondingly  difficult  to 
obtain.  In  the  face  of  this  discouraging  outlook  Greene  went  resolutely  to  his  task, 
rousing  the  country  as  he  traveled  through  it  and  importuning  the  governors  for  aid 
of  any  kind.  His  energetic  measures  brought  him  some  immediate  assistance,  and 
more  followed  as  he  journeyed  South,  leaving  a  train  of  activity  where   apathy  had 


Central   ^rtrnr   uotfii   .Sotttli 


llSj&0t*ftij*tt 


before  prevailed.  He  reached  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  December  second,  and 
relieved  Gates,  who  had  since  his  defeat  at  Camden  gathered  the  available  militia  of 
the  state  to  the  number  of  two  thousand,  to  replace  his  lost  army.  These  troops 
were  raw  and  undisciplined,  but  with  Steuben  and  Lee,  whom  Congress  had  assign- 
ed to  the  Southern  department,  Greene  set  about  the  work  of  fitting  them  for  service, 
while  they  also  formed  a  nucleus  for  gathering  recruits. 

In  appointing  Greene  to  the  command  of  the  Southern  division,  Washington  had 
deprived  his  army  of  a  strong  general,  but  he  was  content  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
special  fitness  of  Greene  for  the  duty  to  which  he  was  assigned.  His  notable  service 
as  quartermaster-general  after  the  failure  of  the  Board  of  War,  and  his  eminent  abil- 
ity in  the  field,  were  considerations  that  impelled  Washington  to  urge  his  appoint- 
ment to  this  post  after  the  destruction  of  Lincoln's  army  at  Charleston;  but  Congress, 


enamoured  of  Gates,  chose  the  latter, 
ability  in  the  two  men  had  become 
apparent  even  to  Congress.  While 
Gates  hurried  to  destruction  in  the 
South,  Greene  gained  fresh  honors  in 
New  Jersey,  where  he  checked  Clin- 
ton's advance  at  Springfield  and  sent 
him  in  retreat  to  Staten  Island. 

Incursions  of  this  character  were 
the  extent  of  British  activity  in  the 
North  during  the  spring  and  summer 
of  1780.  Washington  had  moved 
into  New  Jersey  and  driven  out  Knyp- 
hausen,  whose  force  was  greatly  su- 
perior, before  Clinton  arrived  from 
Charleston ;  and  while  the  latter  was 
engaged  in  his  abortive  raid,  the  Ameri- 
can commander  defended  his  position 
on  the  Hudson.  His  army,  impover- 
ished and  reduced  in  numbers  through 
the  incapacity  of  Congress,  was  re- 
inforced by  the  arrival  at  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  July  tenth,  of  a  power- 
ful French  fleet  under  Admiral  Ternay, 
bringing  Count  de  Rochambeau  with 
six  thousand  soldiers.  The  strength 
of  the  allied  forces  was  thus  sufficient 
to  imperil  the  British  at  New  York, 
and  their  outlying  posts  were  finally 
abandoned  for  the  better  protection  of 
the  larger  interests. 

At  the  British  headquarters,  and 
in  the  heart  of  the  American  councils, 
events  were  making  for  one  of  the 
saddest  burdens  that  Washington,   in 


In  the  interval  since  that  time  the  contrast  of 


Ta 


780 


T780 


^vrUiatl  of  iFtirntJi   Allies 


36 


r(K^rtrClrtan 


all  the  misfortunes  of  the  Revolution,  was  called  upon  to  bear.  Benedict  Arnold,  whose 
name  is  now  identified  with  treachery,  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  most  valiant  officers 
in  the  patriot  army.  Impetuous  and  ardent,  he  was  ever  at  the  forefront  of  action,  and 
his  self-ignoring  courage  inspired  those  about  him  to  victorious  effort  in  the  face  of 
impending  disaster.      He  had  led  a  starving  army  through  the  northern  wilderness  to 

m5   Quebec,  his  energetic  struggle  for  the  control  of  Lake  Champlain  had  delayed  by  a 

j-jyif  year  the  British  advance  to  the  Hudson  and  operated  for  its  final  defeat,  and  his  re- 
surgent valor  at  Saratoga  turned  the  tide  of  battle  in  favor  of  his  cause.  The  elements 
of  character  that  contributed  to  these  worthy  ends  were  equally  potent  in  self-seeking 

j-j-jj  baseness,  when  the  high  impulse  of  patriotism  had  given  place  to  one  of  personal  gain 
and  revenge.  The  wound  received  by  Arnold  in  the  charge  at  Saratoga  incapacitated 
him,  temporarily,  for  active  service,  and  when  sufficiently  recovered  he  was  put  in 

j-j"8;  command  of  Philadelphia,  which  the  British  had  then  recently  evacuated.  Here  he 
married  the  daughter  of  a  Tory,  and  formed  associations  that  opened  the  way  for 
later  operations.  Life  at  the  capital  developed  the  weaknesses  of  his  nature,  and  he 
became  involved  in  difficulties  that  brought  him  successively  before  a  committee  of 

j-j-jg  Congress  and  a  court-martial  ;  the  former  exonerated  him,  but  the  latter,  though 
acquitting  him  of  the  charges  preferred,  qualified  the  verdict  by  directing  Washington 
to  administer  a  formal  reprimand.      The  harshness  of  this  measure  was  greatly  miti- 


il«afor=©eHttal  JSentttUt  atuolW 


iK^r 


gated  by  the  implied  praise  which 
Washington,  who  admired  Arnold 
and  believed  him  wronged,  incor- 
porated in  the  rebuke  ;  but  to 
Arnold  it  was  no  less  a  rebuke, 
and  it  weighed  in  turning  him  from 
a  life  of  honor  to  one  of  ignominy. 

Smarting  under  his  wrong,  real 
or  fancied,  and  looking  to  the  possi- 
bilities of  personal  emolument,  he 
opened  cautious  communication 
with  the  British,  who  saw  in  this 
an  opportunity  of  acquiring  by 
treachery  what  they  could  not  take 
by  force  of  arms.  The  American 
fort  at  West  Point,  on  the  Hudson, 
was  coveted,  and  Arnold  set  out  to 
obtain  the  post  of  commandant  that 
he  might  work  its  ruin,  for  which 
he  was  to  receive  a  large  money 
consideration  and  a  commission  as  ^^,''^: 
brigadier-general  in  the  British 
army.  Though  Washington  had 
other  plans  for  Arnold's  employ- 
ment, such  was  his  regard  for  the 
man,  that  he  deferred  to  the  lat- 
ter's  wishes,  and  the  first  requirement  of  the  plot  was  effected.  From  possession  it 
was  but  a  step  to  delivery;  but  that  step  was  carelessly  executed  by  Major  Andr6, 
the  British  emissary  sent  to  meet  Arnold  and  arrange  the  details,  and  while  on  his 
way  back  to  the  Vulture,  a  sloop-of-war  which  had  brought  him  up  the  river,  he 
was  captured  at  Tarrytown  and  the  full  import  of  his  mission  discovered.  John 
Paulding,  David  Williams  and  Isaac  Van  Wart,  the  vigilant  rangers  who  seized 
Andr^,  took  him,  in  spite  of  liberal  offers  for  liberty,  to  the  American  headquarters 
at  Northcastle  ;  and  a  few  days  later  he  was  hanged  at  Tappan,  after  having  confessed 
to  being  a  spy,  and  notwithstanding  strenuous  efforts  on  the  part  of  Clinton  to  save 
his  officer's  life.  Through  a  blunder  of  the  officers  to  whom  Andr6  was  delivered, 
Arnold  was  notified  of  the  failure  of  his  conspiracy  and  succeeded  in  escaping  to 
the  British  on  the  day,  September  twenty-fifth,  that  the  surrender  was  to  have 
taken  place. 

To  Washington,  who  arrived  unexpectedly  at  West  Point  on  the  morning  of 
Arnold's  flight,  the  moral  disappointment  was  particularly  severe.  Arnold  was  a 
valuable  officer,  but  the  gap  which  he  left  could,  in  a  way,  be  filled.  The  real 
calamity  was  the  shaken  confidence  in  human  integrity  engendered  by  the  perfidy  of 
one  so  highly  esteemed,  and  who  owed  so  much  to  the  kindly  consideration  of  his 
superior.  It  opened  unconsidered  possibilities  of  defeat,  and  such  was  the  improba- 
bility in  Arnold's  case  that  no  limit  could  be  set  to  unwelcome  suspicion.  Happily 
no  further  cause  for  such  existed,  and  the  treason  of  Arnold  remains  the  one  blot  on 
the  record  of  patriotism. 


^Teffer^on^   Cucfea()or  l^a. 


'780 


^780 


arnolH^fii  ^Tteatljttff 


38 


lySi 


In  the  North  the  year  1780  closed  as  it  had  passed,  without  important  aggression 
by  either  side.  To  Washington,  in  his  quarters  in  New  Jersey,  the  outlook  was 
cheerless  in  the  extreme.  All  the  old  familiar  besetments  of  failing  men  and  scant 
supplies  harassed  him  with  stubborn  persistence.  As  an  executive  body  Congress 
was  a  failure,  and  Washington's  strenuous  entreaties  were  received  with  indifference 
and  apathy.  The  lack  of  funds  was  the  most  serious  difficulty,  and  after  its  own 
conspicuous  failure  in  this  field.  Congress,  with  unusual  discernment,  shifted  the 
burden  to  an  individual  of  large  means  and  earnest  patriotism,  by  appointing  Robert 
Morris,  of  Philadelphia,  to  be  Superintendent  of  Finances.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
war,  Morris  had  answered  Washington's  appeal  with  fiftv  thousand  dollars  raised  on 
his  personal  credit,  and,  though  the  task  was  one  that  few  men  would  have  cared  to 
undertake  and  fewer  still  have  succeeded  in,  he  now  applied  his  ripe  business  ability 
to  the  problem,  and  with  the  cooperation  of  Gouverneur  Morris,  of  New  York, 
established  a  bank  and  raised  the  credit  of  the  government  on  the  strength  of  his  own 
acceptance  of  the  trust.  The  money  thus  available  was  of  immense  assistance  to 
Washington,  enabling  him  to  recoup  his  army  at  a  most  critical  time,  when,  as  later 
developments  proved,  unreadiness  would  have  been  fatal. 

Benedict  Arnold,  with  his  commission  from  King  George,  had  been  sent  to  ravage 
Virginia,  and  with  Cornwallis  and  Tarleton  in  the  Carolinas,  the  importance  of  the 
British  strength  in  the  South  was  clearly  apparent  to  the  American  commander.  He 
dispatched  Lafayette  with  twelve  hundred  men  to  meet  Arnold,  who  was  burning  and 


Botiett  jWorrfs 


39 


pillaging  with  the  energy  that  had  been  characteristic  of  his  worthy  efforts.  Early 
in  March,  Lafayette  reached  Annapolis,  at  which  place  he  was  to  join  the  French 
fleet  which  had  been  sent  from  Newport  to  convoy  him  to  Portsmouth,  where 
Arnold  was  entrenched.  The  plan  was  frustrated  by  the  appearance  of  a  British 
fleet  under  Arbuthnot  near  the  entrance  to  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  as  a  result  of  the 
ensuing  action  the  French  were  obliged  to  return  to  Rhode  Island,  leaving  Lafayette 
without  the  means  of  reaching  Arnold.  Clinton,  though  yet  with  no  plan  beyond 
disconnected  raids,  sent  General  Phillips  with  two  thousand  men  to  join  Arnolr', 
whom  the  former  was  to  relieve  of  command.  His  mission  thus  rendered  hopeless, 
Lafayette  was  ordered  to  join  Greene,  who  was  beginning  to  make  his  presence  felt 
in  the  farther  South. 

One  of  the  typical  figures  of  the  war  was  Daniel  Morgan  of  Virginia.  Born  to 
humble  station,  he  served  as  private  in  the  early  Indian  wars,  and  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Revolution  raised  a  regiment  of  Virginia  riflemen  and  hurried  to  the  front. 
His  men  formed  an  important  part  of  the  expedition  to  Quebec  and  were  prominent 
in  many  later  actions,  notably  at  Saratoga,  where  they  won  the  praise  of  the  enemy. 
Morgan  had  not  received  the  recognition  his  achievements  merited  and  had  with- 
drawn to  his  Virginia  plantation,  when  Gates's  defeat  at  Camden  revealed  the  desper- 
ate situation  of  the  cause  in  the  South.  Repressing  personal  considerations,  he  made 
haste  to  join  Gates,  and  soon  received  from  Congress  a  commission  as  brigadier-general. 
He  was  engaged  in  organizing  his  troops  when  Greene  arrived,  and  with  the  approval 
of  the  latter  he  moved  to  the  westward,  and  gathering  the  militia,  stopped  the  ravages 
of  loyalists  in  that  section.      Cornwallis 

watched    with    apprehension     Morgan's     ^^^r      *.        sis       ^  *.     ii*N      ^  *^ 

growing  power,  and  sent  Tarleton,  with  ^^tt  §90^t  HBC^tOlJCr 
his  light  infantry,  to  check  his  operations. 
Morgan  retreated  before  him  until  he 
reached  a  favorable  position  at  Cowpens 
—  on  the  boundary  between  North  and 
South  Carolina  —  where  he  established 
himself,  and  instructing  and  encouraging 
his  men,  he  waited  in  battle  order  for  the 
British  to  come  up.  They  arrived  on 
the  seventeenth  of  January  and  dashed 
upon  the  Americans  with  an  impetuosity 
calculated  to  break  the  ranks  of  the  lat- 
ter; but  they  were  prepared  for  this  and 
met  the  assault  boldly,  changing  forma- 
tion to  bring  fresh  troops  to  the  front, 
and  then  by  a  partial  retreat  led  the  British 
forward,  enabling  a  division  under  Colo- 
nel Washington  to  attack  them  in  the 
rear.  Met  by  fire  before  and  behind, 
the  enemy  soon  succumbed  in  uncondi- 
tional surrender.  Tarleton  himself  es- 
caped, but  upwards  of  six  hundred  of 
his  men  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Ameri- 


1781 


1781 


iWotfian^s  Tfttovff  at  eoiti)]fns 


4C 


1781 


cans,  with  all  the  arms 
and  baggage  of  the  com- 
mand. Morgan's  victory 
was  a  brilliant  one,  his 
force  being  inferior  to 
that  of  his  adversary,  and 
was  largely  the  result  of 
clear  judgment  and  care- 
ful planning,  backed  by 
experienced  troops. 

Although  Tarleton's 
command  was  destroyed, 
it  was  dangerous  for  Mor- 
gan to  remain  within 
reach  of  Cornwallis,  who 
was  sure  to  retaliate  for 
the  loss  of  his  favorite 
regiment;  and  as  soon  as 
the  battle  was  over  a  rapid 
retreat  was  begun,  which, 
before  the  next  morning,  had  carried  the  Americans  well  beyond  the  Broad 
River.  Events  proved  the  wisdom  of  this  course,  and  the  advantage  thus  gained 
barely  sufficed  to  save  them  from  the  pursuing  army,  which  was  lightened  by  burning 
its  heavy  baggage,  that  the  chase  might  be  unimpeded.  Greene  also  realized  the 
importance  of  outwitting  Cornwallis,  and  on  learning  of  the  victory  started  at  once 
to  join  Morgan,  at  the  same  time  sending  messengers  ahead  to  gather  boats  at  all  the 
rivers  on  the  line  of  march,  that  everything  might  be  in  readiness  when  the  troops 
arrived.  Without  this  foresight  all  the  strenuous  efforts  of  Morgan  would  have  come 
to  naught,  as  successively  at  the  Catawba  and  the  Yadkin  the  Americans  had  only 
the  river  between  them  and  their  pursuers. 

Greene's  armv,  following  close  upon  its  general,  joined  Morgan's  division  at 
Guilford,  the  ninth  of  February,  and  together  they  continued  the  flight  to  the  Dan, 
where  Kosciuszko,  sent  ahead  by  Greene,  was  preparing  defences.  The  British 
were  so  close  behind  that  it  was  only  by  employing  a  rear  guard  to  engage  them  in 
skirmishes  that  the  Americans  succeeded  in  crossing  the  river  ;  when  this  was  safely 
accomplished  the  skirmishing  party  followed  rapidly,  leaving  the  enemy  baffled  at  the 
bank.  The  British  had  no  boats,  and  as  it  was  out  of  the  question  to  ford  under 
the  fire  of  the  Americans,  they  withdrew  and  gave  up  the  chase. 

Greene  soon  returned  to  the  country  south  of  the  Dan,  and  for  some  weeks  har- 
rassed  Cornwallis  by  raids  on  outlying  divisions,  and  by  intercepting  his  recruits  and 
supplies.  Every  attempt  to  reach  the  Americans  was  frustrated  by  a  rapid  change  of 
position,  and  after  seriously  fatiguing  his  army  to  no  purpose,  Cornwallis  withdrew 
to  rest  his  men  and  seek  recruits.  This  gave  Greene  a  like  opportunity,  and  the 
militia,  for  which  his  aides  had  scoured  the  neighboring  states  while  the  British  were 
being  held  in  check,  began  to  arrive  in  appreciable  force.  When  sufficiently  strength- 
ened, Greene,  who  saw  the  necessity  of  a  battle  which  should  cripple  his  adversary, 
even  though  himself  obliged  to  retreat,  marched  to  Guilford  Court  House,  which  he 


JWotfian's  Metrtat 


^tarui^n 


had  selected  as  an  advantageous  position.  The  next  day,  March  fifteenth,  the  British 
accepted  the  challenge  and  boldly  opened  the  attack.  Greene's  forces,  which  number- 
ed somewhat  over  four  thousand,  were  largely  untrained  militia,  and  at  the  first 
charge  of  the  enemy,  the  firing  line,  thus  constituted,  broke  and  fled  without  ofFenng 
any  effective  resistance.  The  Continentals,  who  were  next  behind,  fought  with 
steady  regularity  and  twice  repulsed  the  British,  who  only  saved  the  day  by  the  reck- 
less use  of  artillery  fired  through  their  own  ranks.  Greene  withdrew  in  good  order, 
but  minus  a  large  part  of  the  militia,  which  failed  to  return  after  the  first  rout. 

Cornwallis,  who  lost  in  the  neighborhood  of  six  hundred  men,  took  up  his  march  to 
Wilmington  to  refit  before  coming  northward.        Greene  immediately  followed  him, 
although  defeated  and  with  his  force  reduced  by  desertion  —  his  loss  in  battle  being  less    ■'7'^'' 
than  a  third  that  of  the   British;  but  he  was  compelled  by  the  continued  desertion  of 
militia  to  abandon  the  pursuit  at  the  Deep  River  when  almost  up  with  the  enemy. 

With  the  British  forces  divided,  as  they  were  by  Cornwallis' s  expedition  to  Virginia, 
it  became  necessary  for  Greene  to  choose  between  following  the  former  to  the  North, 
and  the  alternative  of  moving  against  Lord  Rawdon,  who  held  Camden  and  a  chain 
of  fortified  posts  in  South  Carolina.  He  chose  the  latter  plan,  and  quickly  with- 
drawing from  the  vicinity  of  Cornwallis,  that  the  latter  might  not  detect  his  purpose  in 
time  to  obstruct  his  movement,  he  marched  for  Camden,  April  second,  and  arrived  that 
night  at  Hobkirk's  Hill,  within  a  short  distancs'  "f 'he  enemy's  works.  Rawdon,  think- 
ing to  surprise  Greene,  whom  he  knew  to  be  ac  )  ct  without  artillery,  led  an  attack  early 
on  the  morning  of  April 
seventh,  and  succeeded 
in  dislodging  the  Ameri- 
cans. Greene  was  sur- 
prised, but  not  unpre- 
pared, as  he  had  camped 
his  army  in  battle  form  to 
guard  against  this  possi- 
bility. The  struggle  was 
sharp,  and  for  some  time 
the  advantage  appeared 
to  be  with  the  Ameri- 
cans, but  at  a  critical 
moment  one  of  those 
unnecessary  weakenings, 
which  had  turned  the 
scale  against  them  on 
many  other  occasions, 
broke  the  formation,  and 
seeing  the  inevitable  re- 
sult, Greene  withdrew 
his  men  while  yet  pos- 
sible to  do  so  without 
sacrifice. 

Reinforcements 
reached    Rawdon  a  few 


JJost  iFinfalfii 


^xttnt^n  m^^mpaiQti 


(^toT^i^n 


weeks  later,  in  spite  of  Lee  and  Marion,  who,  at  the  first  inception  of  the  plan,  had 
been  sent  to  cut  off  his  supplies.  With  this  added  force,  Rawdon  started  out  early 
in  May  to  reach,  by  a  detour,  a  position  in  Greene's  rear,  which  he  hoped  to  find 
unguarded.  The  sagacious  general  was  not  to  be  caught  in  such  a  simple  manner, 
however,  and  changed  his  position  for  one  so  strong  that  the  British  feared  to  attack. 
Unable  to  dislodge  Greene,  and  threatened  by  the  latter' s  outlying  divisions,  which 
had  already  taken  Fort  Watson,  one  of  his  important  posts,  Rawdon  abandoned 
Camden,  May  tenth,  and  moved  to  the  sea-coast.  On  his  way  he  hoped  to 
strengthen  the  garrison  at  Fort  Motte,  but  he  was  too  late,  and  arrived  May  twelfth, 
j^fSi  just  in  time  to  witness  its  surrender.  Sumter  had  taken  Orangeburg  the  day  before, 
and  Neilson's  Ferry  and  Fort  Granbv  fell  within  a  few  days.  Lee  and  Pickens 
with  their  divisions  entered  Georgia  and  captured  Fort  Galphin,  May  twenty-first, 
reaching  Augusta,  their  objective  point,  a  few  hours  later.  Here  they  met  deter- 
mined resistance.  The  two  forts,  Grierson  and  Cornwallis,  were  besieged,  and 
the  former,  which  was  the  weaker,  was  soon  taken  by  Pickens,  enabling  him  to  go 
to  the  assistance  of  Lee,  whose  operations  had  so  far  had  little  effect  on  the  strong 
garrison  of  Fort  Cornwallis,  which  fought  gallantly  and  held  out  with  stubborn 
tenacity.  The  Americans  were  no  less  determined,  however,  and  gradually  weak- 
ening the  defense  by  daily  engagements,  they  finally  assaulted  the  fort  on  June  fifth, 
and  forced  its  surrender. 

One  of  the  strongest  British  posts  in  the  South,  and  after  the  fall  of  Augusta  the 
only  one  in  that  section  remaining  in  their  control,  was  Ninety-Six,  Georgia.  To 
this  Greene  directed  his  attention  after  recuperating  his  army,  and  opened  systematic 


iF  at  Wing  t  0  n  ,    <2rt)  a  1 1  o  1 1  r  s  ^  ( 1 1 1   Ta* 


Designed    by 
Thomas    y e  f f  e r  s  o  n 


/iK^rtf-i^iY-ti^^ 


H^           /•' 

1 

-^ 

' 

Designed     by     Sir     Christopher     Wren 

siege  operations,  which,  with  the  help  of  Lee,  who  had  joined  him  after  the  victory 
of  Augusta,  had  reduced  the  strong  garrison  to  a  point  where  surrender  could  not  be 
long  delayed,  when  the  Americans  received  word  of  the  approach  of  Lord  Rawdon, 
who  had  again  left  the  seaboard  to  come  to  the  relief  of  the  besieged  post.  Greene,  '"^ 
who  was  too  weak  to  cope  with  such  a  force,  reluctantly  withdrew  and  led  Rawdon 
a  futile  chase  from  point  to  point,  until  the  latter,  unable  to  disperse  the  Americans, 
and  fearing  to  remain  in  the  position  he  had  come  so  far  to  sustain,  withdrew  from 
Ninety-Six,  taking  the  garrison  and  loyalists,  and  returned  finally  to  the  coast. 
Thus  the  purpose  of  Greene's  campaign,  apparently  frustrated,  was  accomplished  by 
the  force  of  conditions  his  earlier  work  had  created. 

Detachments  of  the  American  troops  followed  the  retreating  British  to  the  out- 
skirts of  Charleston,  harassing  them  and  preventing  scattered  raids  and  pillage.  They 
also,  as  a  result  of  engagements  with  outlying  commands,  captured  upwards  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  prisoners,  among  whom  were  a  number  of  officers. 

Lord  Rawdon  embarked  for  England  early  in  Julv,  and  his  successor,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Stewart,  undertook  to  reoccupy  the  country  from  which  Rawdon  had  been 
driven.  He  started,  late  in  August,  with  between  two  and  three  thousand  men,  and 
camped  on  the  Santee  near  Fort  Motte.  Greene,  who  was  encamped  in  the  neigh- 
boring hills,  had  rested  and  strengthened  his  army,  and  he  set  out  on  receipt  of  in- 


XCnel»  =  fi((r  fSHatuateH 


/|E  4>  ^%^ IV  {  ^1^ 


iJTrofian  JJlace  Hotuist  ^roiie  mg. 


for m a t i o n  of 
Stewart's  move- 
ments, to  inter- 
cept the  latter 
and  at  the  same 
time  to  assail  his 
communications 
by  detachments 
in  his  rear.  This 
plan  was  so  suc- 
cessful that  the 
British  were 
obliged  to  with- 
draw to  Eutaw 
Springs,  some 
twenty  miles 
down  the  river. 
Here  they  se- 
lected a  strong 

position  and  awaited  the  Americans,  who  reached  that  vicinity  September  seventh,  but 
were  undiscovered  until  the  morning  of  the  eighth,  a  short  time  before  they  were  ready 
to  attack.  The  armies  were  evenly  matched,  and  although  the  Americans  pressed 
steadily  forward  and  easily  destroyed  the  enemy's  outer  lines,  the  resistance  was  able  and 
determined,  and  for  a  while  seemed  sufficient  to  hold  the  ground.  At  this  point 
Greene's  superior  tactics  prevailed,  and  the  Continentals,  being  formed  in  to  replace 
the  exhausted  militia,  which  had  so  far  borne  bravely  the  brunt  of  the  battle,  charged 
j'^81  the  British  before  they  had  time  to  recover  from  the  fire  of  the  militia,  and  pene- 
trating their  line,  drove  them  in  disorder  to  the  shelter  of  a  brick  building  about 
which  the  camp  was  set.  Unfortunately  the  victors  were  over-confident  of  suc- 
cess and  scattered  in  search  of  plunder,  with  the  result  that  the  British  were  enabled 
to  gather  sufficient  strength  to  render  the  final  outcome  doubtful,  and  Greene,  bit- 
terly disappointed,  yet  ever  watchful  of  the  safety  of  his  army,  felt  compelled  to 
withdraw  and  trust  to  the  severity  of  the  blow  he  had  inflicted  to  force  the  enemy 
to  retreat.  He  took  with  him  five  hundred  prisoners,  making  the  British  loss,  with 
those  left  on  the  field,  nearly  a  thousand;  which,  as  was  anticipated,  decided  Stewart 
to  return  to  the  coast,  where  the  protection  of  the  British  ships  formed  their  only 
stronghold.  As  before,  detachments  under  Marion  and  Lee  followed  and  harassed 
the  retreating  army,  which,  to  be  less  encumbered,  destroyed  large  quantities  of 
stores,  and  left  behind  more  than  a  thousand  stands  of  arms.  Greene  retired, 
according  to  his  custom,  to  gather  reinforcements,  and  later  moved  to  the  vicinity  of 
Charleston,  where  his  presence  served  to  restrain  the  British  and  check  their  raids  on 
the  surrounding  country;  but  his  work  was  practically  done,  and  the  South,  the  most 
cruelly  devastated  section  of  the  Union,  was,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  points  on 
the  coast,  freed  from  British  dominion. 

Simultaneously  with  these  victories  in  South  Carolina  came  the  master-stroke  of 
the  Revolution,  —  the  operations  about  Yorktovvn  which  led  to  the  surrender  of  Corn- 
waJlis.      The  successive  raids  into  Virginia  had  attracted   attention  to  that  quarter. 


ulatQ  ^|itfn00 


^Ji^u  I  jn 


but  the  expedition  under  Phillips  that  added  two  thousand  men  to  Arnold's  already 
strong  force,  and  Cornwallis's  approach  from  the  South,  gave  to  the  situation  there 
an  importance  not  hitherto  possessed. 

Washington,  in  his  survey  of  existing  conditions,  realized  the  necessity  of  a  decisive 
engagement  that  should  successfully  terminate  the  Revolution,  which  otherwise  stood 
in  grave  danger  of  dissolution  as  a  result  of  the  apathy  and  incompetence  of  Congress, 
and  the  failure  of  the  states  not  directly  menaced,  to  continue  the  much-needed 
supplies  of  money  and  men.  To  this  end  he  sought  the  cooperation  of  Rochambeau 
and  his  French  troops,  and  the  fleet  under  De  Barras,  recently  arrived  at  Newport. 
The  choice  lay  between  New  York  and  Yorktown,  at  either  of  which  places  the 
ships  could  cooperate  with  the  land  forces,  an  essential  condition  to  the  complete 
victory  that  Washington  desired  to  ensure.  His  preference  at  first  was  for  New 
York  as  offering  the  greater  opportunity,  and  early  in  July  a  combined  attack  was  ■'^7^' 
made  on  the  forts  at  the  upper  end  of  Manhattan.  The  attempt  was  fruitless  as  to 
its  main  issue,  but  it  served  to  alarm  Clinton,  and  caused  him  to  withdraw  further 
aid  from  Cornwallis  ;  it  also  served  as  a  feint  and  enabled  Washington  to  make  un- 
suspected preparations  for  carrying  out  the  alternative  plan,  to  attack  the  forces  now 
combined  and  entrenched  at  Yorktown.  This  plan  gained  opportune  encouragement 
by  the  receipt  of  assurance  of  cooperation  from  Count  De  Grasse,  who  was  on  his 
way  from  the  West  Indies  with  another  and  larger  fleet. 

Lafayette,  whom  Cornwallis  unsuccessfully  endeavored  to  isolate,  had  been  joined 
by  Wayne  with  his  command,  and  together  they  had  driven  the  British  from  the  interior, 

engaging  them  at  Williamsburg  and  Green  Spring,  and 
held  them  at  bay  at  Yorktown.  Neither  Cornwallis 
nor  Clinton  had  any  idea  that  Washington  would 
abandon  New  York  with  his  main  army,  and  this, 
with  the  operations  already  attempted,  and  the  elabor- 
ate preparations  made  by  the  latter  with  the  appar- 
ent purpose  of  continuing  on  the  same  lines,  enabled 
the  allied  armies  to  slip  away,  leaving  only  a  detach- 
ment to  hold  the  British  to  Manhattan,  and  get 
well  out  of  reach  before  Clinton  discovered  their 
absence.  When  he  became  aware  of  the  move- 
ment he  vainly  endeavored  to  divert  them  from 
their  purpose  by  sending  Arnold,  who  had  been  un- 
appreciatively  ordered  north  by  Cornwallis,  into 
Connecticut  to  ravage  and  excite  the  country.  Forts 
Trumbull  and  Griswold,  near  New  London,  were 
taken,  and  at  the  latter.  Colonel  Ledyard  and  nearly 
a  hundred  ot  his  men  were  murdered,  after  having 
surrendered  in  good  faith.  New  London  was  burned 
to  complete  the  wanton  destruction. 

The  armies  under  Washington  crossed  the  Hud- 
son August  nineteenth,  and  marching  through  Phila- 
delphia, arrived  September  eighth  at  the  head  of 
Chesapeake  Bay,  where  they  gathered  transports 
and    awaited    the    French    fleet.      De   Grasse    had 


^v^nUtovt  IkVi. 


D  e  s  i  (I  n  e  d    by 
Thomas    J  e  f  f  e  r  s  o  n 


iJHotiirtnirntios   of  ^Uielr  iFottfo 


I78I 


arrived  at  the  entrance  to 

the  Chesapeake  and  was 
landing  troops  sent  to  re- 
inforce Rochambeau,  when 
a  British  fleet  under  Ad- 
miral Graves  appeared  off 
the  capes,  and  the  French 
at  once  went  out  to  meet 
it.  The  ensuing  action, 
while  not  eminently  de- 
cisive, was  severely  felt  by 
the  British,  who  lost  one 
ship  and  were  obliged    to 

1^-- ■•■■""  "-'^^^^l^^P^B^S^Pll       sail  northto  refit.      On  his 

Sfteiteifi^ftiv;;'..    — •*"  ^Sliiimii^lvS^m^Sm^       return,    De  Grasse  tound 

awaiting  him  the  squad- 
ron under  De  Barras,  who 
had  eluded  the  English  fleet 
sent  to  intercept  him,  and 
arrived  safely  with  trans- 
ports and  siege  tools,  and  together  they  proceeded  up  the  bay  and  brought  down 
the  troops,  which  were  landed  at  Williamsburg,  September  twenty-sixth.  Joined 
by  Lafayette  and  the  French  reinforcements,  the  combined  armies,  numbering  in 
the  neighborhood  of  sixteen  thousand  men,  took  up  positions  about  Yorktown,  Sep- 
tember twenty-eighth,  and  laid  down  the  first  lines  of  the  siege. 

With  the  river,  against  which  the  town  was  set,  and  Gloucester  Point,  opposite, 
in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  Yorktown  was  ill-adapted  to  successful  defense,  and 
Cornwallis  soon  found  himself  surrounded  with  steadily  approaching  armies.  His 
first  position  was  in  trenches  outside  the  town,  but  he  was  soon  obliged  to  withdraw 
to  the  inner  fortifications,  while  the  besiegers  occupied  his  abandoned  works.  Day 
by  day  the  lines  contracted  and  the  heavy  guns  battered  the  defenses  with  steady  ef- 
fectiveness. October  fourteenth  two  outlying  redoubts  were  taken,  one  by  the 
Americans  and  one  by  the  French,  and  Cornwallis,  realizing  the  desperateness  of  his 
situation,  resolved  to  stake  all  on  an  attempt  to  escape  by  the  river.  On  the  night  of 
the  sixteenth  he  embarked  a  detachment  of  his  men  which  reached  the  opposite  bank 
in  safety,  but  the  sudden  advent  of  a  storm  frustrated  his  plan,  and  the  troops  already 
over  were  with  difficulty  brought  back  the  following  dav. 

His  last  hope  gone,  Cornwallis  sought  terms  of  surrender,  and  on  the  eighteenth 
the  articles  were  signed.  The  next  day  eight  thousand  men  laid  down  their  arms  to 
the  Americans,  and  the  British  ships  with  a  thousand  more  were  delivered  to  the 
French.  The  ceremony  was  very  imposing,  the  conquered  army  assuming  all  the 
dignity  permitted  by  the  articles  of  surrender.  Cornwallis  remained  in  his  quarters 
under  plea  of  sickness,  presenting  his  apologies  to  Washington  through  General 
O'Hara,  who  also  delivered  the  British  commander's  sword  to  General  Lincoln, 
whom  Washington,  as  a  slight  recompense  for  the  former's  like  humiliation  at  Char- 
leston, had  appointed  to  receive  it. 

The  careful  plan  had  been  wrought  out,  the  overwhelming  blow  had  been  struck; 


(jiTornitiaUid   sutrenliirvfit 


i^ttfTtfi^n 


m 


and  although  it  could  not  be  immediately  known,  the  end  of  the  Revolution  had 
come.  To  Washington  there  yet  appeared  much  need  of  continued  effort,  and  great 
exertion  was  required  on  his  part  to  prevent  an  easy  relaxation  after  such  a  notable 
victory.  King  George  was  still  insistent  for  war,  and  the  British  still  held  New  York 
and  Charleston. 

Further  reinforcements  were  sent  to  Greene,  who  continued  to  watch  Stewart  at 
the  latter  place,  and  Washington  withdrew  his  army  to  the  highlands  of  the  Hudson. 
Clinton,  with  late  awakening  to  the  danger  of  Cornwallis's  position,  had  started  with 
a  relief  expedition  and  arrived  at  the  entrance  to  the  Chesapeake  five  days  after  the 
surrender.  He  immediately  returned  to  New  York,  where  the  winter  was  quietly 
spent,  and  in  the  spring  was  succeeded  by  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  whose  appointment 
marked  the  accession  of  the  peace  party  in  Parliament,  and  whose  mission  was  as 
much  diplomatic  as  belligerent. 

Washington's  fear  of  further  aggression  and  his  appeals  for  continued  vigilance, 
while  justified  by  considerations  of  ordinary  caution,  and  the  unchanged  attitude  of 
King  George,  were  happily  unfounded,  and  events  slowly  but  inevitably  forwarded 
the  termination  of  the  war. 

In  England,  irresistible  surgings  of  public  opinion  were  steadily  decreasing  the  bal- 
ance of  power  held  by  the  King  and  his  party,  and  by  the  first  of  March  following 
the  surrender  at  Yorktown  they  were  reduced  to  a  minority.  King  George,  whose 
every  measure  in  the  history  of  the  w^ar  had  been  too  late  for  its  opportunity,  still 
clung  to  the  hope  of  crushing  the  rebels,  but  he  was  practically  alone,  and  before  the 
month  had  passed.  Lord  North,  his  prime  minister,  was  forced  by  the  opposition  in 
Parliament  to  dissolve  his  cabinet  and  resign  the  government  to  the  Whigs.  Rock- 
ingham came  in  at  the  head  of  the  dominant  party, 
but  he  was  broken  in  health  and  died  soon  after,  his 
place  being  taken  by  Lord  Shelburne,  then  secre- 
tary of  state. 

Franklin,  to  whose  victories  of  diplomacy  America's 
standing  abroad  was  chiefly  due,  had  already  opened 
negotiations  with  Shelburne;  and  with  Richard  Oswald, 
the  latter' s  agent,  had  drafted  at  Paris  the  terms  of 
peace.      After  much  diplomatic  contention,  in  which 


North     Carolina 


1782 


2rf)e  fgntr  of  ti|t  Wiux 


(l^tcfTai^xn 


©Harle  dtou^^^C 


Franklin    was    joined    by    John    Adams,     Henry 
jy8^  J  Laurens,    and  John  Jay;    and   Oswald  by  Henry 

Strachey,  the  preliminary  articles  were  signed  the 
thirtieth    of  November.       It    was  nearly  a  year 
later,    September  twenty-third,    1783,   when  the 
final    treaty    was  signed,  but  the  work  was  done 
when  the  first  draft  was  agreed  to,  and  this  countty 
is  indebted  to  the  keenness  and  ability  of  its  rep- 
resentatives, especially  to 
Franklin,  for  much  more 
advantageous  terms   than 
could    reasonably    have 
been  expected. 

The  troubles  of  the 
embryo  nation  having 
diminished  with  regard  to 
England,  the  looseness 
and  insufficiency  of  the 
central  government  be- 
came alarmingly  apparent, 
and  the  army,  the  only 
real  power,  from  being 
the  instrument  of  liberty, 
threatened  oppression  of  another  form.  All  through  the  war  the  inability  of  Congress  to 
provide  for  the  army  had  been  an  almost  paralyzing  difficulty,  but  in  oneway  or  another 
Washington  had  been  able  to  bridge  this  condition  and  maintain  an  effective  organi- 
zation. With  the  war  ended  and  the  urgency  of  action  less  apparent.  Congress  was 
at  the  point  of  abandoning  the  soldier  with  no  provision  for  arrears  of  pay,  and  no  as- 
surance of  even  remote  recompense  for  the  hardships  endured  and  the  battles  won, 
178J  The  disaffection  thus  engendered  permeated  the  entire  army  and  needed  but  the  lead- 
ership of  an  active  spirit  to  rise  to  organized  revolt.  This  leader  was  at  hand  in  the 
person  of  Major  John  Armstrong,  and  through  him  the  grievances  of  officers  and  men 
were  declared  in  the  form  of  a  written  address,  in  which  the  army  was  called  upon  to 
rise  in  its  power  and  assume  the  government.  Early  in  the  previous  year  a  some- 
77^^  what  similar  movement  had  resulted  in  a  proposition  to  crown  Washington  and  de- 
clare him  king  ;  but  though  touched  by  this  evidence  of  devotion,  his  high  character 
was  proof  against  all  allurement,  and  he  unhesitatingly  rejected  the  offer,  denouncing 
the  principle,  and  pointing  out  the  priceless  benefits  of  the  liberty  for  which  they  had 
fought.  This  later  and  more  determined  demonstration  called  for  more  decisive  ac- 
tion, as  it  was  approved  by  the  general  body  of  officers,  and  a  day  appointed  for  in- 
augurating the  plan. 

Filled  with  grief,  alike  for  the  necessities  of  his  men  and  the  danger  of  the  nation, 
Washington  rebuked  the  movement  in  general  orders,  and  then,  calling  his  officers  to 
/78J  meet  him,  he  reviewed  the  seriousness  of  the  step  contemplated,  and  with  deep 
emotion  appealed  to  them  to  stand  by  him  and  their  country,  trusting  to  the  final 
triumph  of  justice  and  the  righting  of  their  wrongs.  Promising  his  continued  efforts 
in  their  behalf,   the  general   withdrew,  and  the   officers,   yielding  to  his  entreaties. 


)rnfiurvett(on  immintnt 


^tSatweiSi   @oo$eCreelt<^.et. 


1782 


1783 


formally  resolved  against 
the  uprising.  Alarmed 
by  the  imminence  of  this 
peril.  Congress  was  stirred 
to  action,  and  by  partial 
payment,  and  land  war- 
rants, succeeded  in  paci- 
fying the  troops,  prepara- 
tory to  disbandment. 

Wayne,  whom  Greene 
had  sent,  soon  after  his 
arrival  from  Yorktown,  to 
operate  in  Georgia,  drove 
the  British  out  of  Savan- 
nah the  following  July,  and  on  the  fourteenth  of  December  the  same  year,  two 
weeks  after  the  preliminary  treaty  was  signed  at  Paris,  they  evacuated  Charleston. 
New  York  was  now  the  only  port  held,  and  Carleton  occupied  that  uneventfully 
during  the  following  year,  until  the  signing  of  the  final  treaty,  September  twenty-third, 
was  announced.  He  departed  in  state,  November  twenty-fifth,  and  as  the  British 
marched  to  their  boats,  Washington,  with  Governor  Clinton,  entered  from  the  north 
and  took  possession.  By  this  final  act  the  United  States  were  freed  from  British  sover- 
eignty, and  the  independence  declared  in  i  776  was  accomplished  before  the  world. 

His  work  finished,  Washington  called  his  officers  about  him,  and  bade  them  fare- 
well with  the  simple  dignity  that  had  characterized  his  communion  with  them,  but 
with  deep  emotion  and  fervent  wishes  for  their  future  prosperity.  In  silence  and  in 
tears  he  embraced  each  one,  and  then,  departing,  made  his  way  to  the  ferry,  followed 
by  the  company,  and,  entering  his  ba'-ge,  he  raised  his  hat  in  final  salute  and  began  his 
homeward  journey.  What  the  Revolution  could  have  been  without  Washington,  is 
difficult  to  imagine.  Through  it  all  he  stands  preeminent,  and  continued  study  of 
his  life  serves  but  to  further  impress  his  greatness.  To  the  wisdom  and  courage  that 
planned  his  operations  and  efi^ected  them,  were  added  nobleness  and  virtue  that  bound 
his  army  to  him  in  bonds  of  love,  that  held  when  duty  was  forgotten. 

George  III,  to  whose  unwise  activity  the  independence  of  the  United  States  is 
due,  was,  with  all  his  deficiencies  in  statecraft,  an  honest  and  patriotic  ruler.  Sur- 
rounded by  scheming  and  intriguing  politicians,  with  only  here  and  there  a  straight- 
forward leader,  it  is  little  wonder  that  he  became  irretrievably  committed  to  a  policy 
in  which  there  was,  from  his  point  of  view,  room  for  honest  belief,  and  which  his 
fawning   courtiers  were   ever   ready  to  extol.      A  complicated  and  disproportionate 

system  of  representation  placed  undue  power 
in  the  hands  of  a  few,  while  the  great  body  of 
the  people  was  verv  inadequately  represented. 
These  conditions,  in  times  so  degenerate,  made 
it  impossible  for  the  King  to  gain  his  ends  ex- 
cept by  barter  and  intrigue,  and  we  find  him 
often  the  distracted  victim  of  unfriendly  and 
exacting  cliques  whose  temporary  strength 
forces  recognition. 

South    (Jar  0  ti  na 

etiatUston  antr 
XrtD    ¥ovft    rbacuattti 


Believing  fully  in  his  divine  right  to  govern,  with  every  sentiment  of  hereditary 
prejudice  outraged  by  the  resistance  of  the  colonists.  King  George,  in  his  policy  of 
subjection,  was  at  least  true  to  his  natural  instincts,  for  which  we  must  allow  while 
condemning  the  vindictive  and  oppressive  measures  resulting  from  it.  Strong  and 
unrelenting  as  was  his  enmity  in  war,  his  right-heartedness  is  evidenced  by  the 
equal  sincerity  of  his  friendliness  when  finally  he  realized  the  failure  of  his  cause  ; 
his  prayer  to  this  end  expressed  before  Parliament,  when,  with  emotion,  he 
acknowledged  England's  defeat,  that  "religion,  language,  interest  and  affection 
might  prove  a  bond  of  permanent  union  between  the  two  countries,"  is  a  worthy 
tribute  of  magnanimity,  but  it  has  been  tardy  of  fulfillment,  and  the  century 
now  closing  has,  from  the  beginning,  witnessed  strife,  and  jealousy,  and  unworthy 
suspicion. 

Recent  events,  however,  have  clearly  revealed  the  underlying  kinship  and  natural 
sympathy  of  the  two  nations,  and  notwithstanding  the  contention  which  must  result 
from  the  conscientious  discharge  of  dutv  by  representatives  of  these  governments, 
a  warmer  friendship  is  assured,  which  it  is  hoped  will  ultimately  realize  the  contrite 
benediction  of  King  George  III. 


e  or  g  t a 


II^JPMTJUi 


ON  THE  FOLLOWING  PAGES  A  FEW  OF  THE  SMALLER 
PIECES  OF  THE  GEORGIAN  PATTERN  ARE  REPRESENTED. 
IT  IS  MADE  IN  STERLING  SILVER  ONLY  (925-1000  FINE) 
AND  INCLUDES  EVERY  ARTICLE  OF  TABLE  FLAT  WARE. 
A  CATALOGUE  FULLY  ILLUSTRATING  THIS  LINE 
MAY  BE  HAD  FROM  LEADING  JEWELERS,  OR  WILL 
BE    MAILED    TO    ANY   ADDRESS    ON    REQUEST. 


IN  adopting  the  Georgian  Style  as  a  motive  for  this 
design,  we  recognize  the  wide  and  still  growing  appre- 
ciation of  every  manifestation  of  colonial  architecture. 
While  this  style  is  more  nearly  indigenous  than  any  other 
that  the  changing  tastes  of  recent  years  have  approved,  —  its 
precedent  being  identified  with  so  much  that  is  vital  in  the 
early  history  of  our  country,  and  its  characteristics  so 
amenable  to  existing  conditions,  —  we  must  remember  that 
plans  and  fittings  were  first  brought  from  England,  where, 
early  in  the  reign  of  George  III,  the  reproduction  of 
classical  designs  became  fashionable. 

Inigo  Jones  and  Sir  Christopher  Wren  had  long  before 
revived  and  adapted  the  teachings  of  Palladio  and  other 
Italian  masters,  and  their  influence  prepared  the  way  for 
popular  acceptance  of  the  promulgations  of  James  Stewart, 
who  returned,  in  1762,  from  extended  residence  and  study 
in  Greece.  The  first  fruits  of  the  application  of  a  style 
developed  by  the  needs  of  public  and  religious  life  in  a  mild 
climate,  to  the  domestic  requirements  of  England,  were 
absurd  in  the  extreme;  but  a  growing  recognition  of  its 
limitations  evolved  the  charming  if  not  pure  style  with 
which  we  are  familiar. 

In  the  search  for  novelty  its  merits  were  for  many  years 
overlooked ;  but  gradually  the  beauty  of  the  old  work  has 
become  apparent,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that 
the  favor  in  which  this  style  is  now  established  will  be 
lasting. 


IBtvii^uiion  of  T^tnian 


5? 


Chow    Chow 


Bouillon 


Hone  Radish 


Cl|)e0rjg[i»n 


Jelly 


Hollow  Handle  Butter 
Spreader 


Butter   Knife 


I  ndividual  Fish 


Hollow  Handle  Dessert 


58 


<j^iPPrjQ[i»Ti 


Pastry 


Sardine   Fork 


ansim  KSAsa 


(georjfti^n 


Oyster 


Beef 


V  I  A 


Cream   Ladle 


Chow  Chow 


Orange 


Confection    Spoon 


O^torm^n 


Sugar  Sifter 


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■^^^^jifci^-L^Ji^^^-i^^^i^g^aTj 


Compiled  and  arranged  hv  George  P.  Tilton, 
OF  The  Towlk  Mfg.  Company. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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